Senate debates

Tuesday, 8 May 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)
  • Centre Alliance (1 speech)
    I seek leave to make a short statement relating to the political party status of myself and Senator Patrick. Leave granted. I wish to inform the Senate that on 6 April the Nick Xenophon Team...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians Fund) Bill 2018, Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Bill 2017; In Committee (12 speeches)
    The committee is considering the Migration Amendment (Skilling Australian Fund) Bill 2018, as amended, and the amendment on sheet 8381 moved by Senator Anning. The question is that the amendment...
  • Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians Fund) Bill 2018, Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Bill 2017; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That these bills be now read a third time. Question agreed to Bills read a third time.
  • Family Assistance and Child Support Legislation Amendment (Protecting Children) Bill 2018; Second Reading (7 speeches)
    Today I rise on behalf of the Labor opposition to make remarks about the bill before us. The Family Assistance and Child Support Legislation Amendment (Protecting Children) Bill. I note that it...
• Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I advise the Senate that Senator Cormann, Leader of the Government in the Senate, will be absent from question time today due to budget arrangements. In Senator Cormann's absence, I will...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Economy (10 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Fifield, the Minister representing the Minister for Finance. Under the Turnbull government gross debt has increased to a record half-a-trillion dollars, net debt has...
• Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    Order! I draw to the attention of honourable senators the presence in the chamber of the President of the Legislative Council of the Parliament of New South Wales, the Hon. John Ajaka MLC. On...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Employment (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Senator Cash. Can the minister update the Senate on how the government's employment services program, jobactive, is helping Australians...
  • Taxation (25 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Finance, Senator Fifield. When asked on ABC's 7.30 program last night about the Turnbull government's ability to persuade the...
  • Schools (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. Would the minister advise the Senate about what the review to achieve excellence in Australian schools, led by Mr...
  • Medicare (26 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services, Senator Fierravanti-Wells. In relation to the government backflip on the Medicare levy, the Minister for Finance...
  • Australian Defence Force (6 speeches)
    Coming from a garrison city, as I do, I have the honour of asking our energetic and effective defence minister a question. I ask the minister, can she advise the Senate how the Turnbull...
  • Education (8 speeches)
    My question is for Senator Payne, the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Last week Minister Bishop confirmed 495 scholarships will be handed out to 22 African countries at a...
  • Australian Signals Directorate (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. In an article entitled 'Let us spy on Aussies', The Daily Telegraph revealed that the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs has...
  • Agriculture Industry (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Canavan. Minister, my home state of Queensland is approximately 84 per cent agricultural land. This includes the...
  • Hospitals (22 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator McKenzie. In my home state of New South Wales, the Turnbull government's cut to public hospital funding of $215...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Economy, Taxation (13 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Communications (Senator Fifield) to questions without notice asked by Senators Keneally and McAllister today relating to...
  • Taxation (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 Whish-Wilson today relating to resources...
• Condolences (0 speeches)
  • Newman, Hon. Jocelyn Margaret, AO (11 speeches)
    It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 1 April 2018, of the Hon. Jocelyn Margaret Newman AO, a senator for the state of Tasmania from 1986 to 2002. I call the Deputy...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator. There being none, I shall proceed.
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to the following senators: (a) Senator Gallagher for today, 8 May 2018, for personal reasons; (b) Senator Chisholm for today, 8 May 2018,...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • National Security Legislation (7 speeches)
    I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 790, standing in my name and the name of Senator McKim for today, relating to Indigenous rangers. Leave granted. I, and on behalf of...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Health Care (12 speeches)
    I inform the Senate that, at 8.30 am today, two proposals were received in accordance with standing order 75. The question of which proposal would be submitted to the Senate was determined by...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • National Schools Constitutional Convention; Tabling (1 speech)
    I table a communique from the 23rd National Schools Constitutional Convention held at Old Parliament House from 20 March to 22 March 2018.
• Auditor-General's Reports (0 speeches)
  • Auditor-General's reports Nos 1, 2 and 3 of 2018; Consideration (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the documents. Auditor-General's reports for 2017-18 1. No. 34—Performance audit—Defence's implementation of the First Principles Review:...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Central Highlands Regional Forest Agreement, East Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement, North East Regional Forest Agreement; Consideration (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the documents. These are amendments to the regional forest agreements for the Central Highlands, East Gippsland and the north-east regions of Victoria. Here...
  • Queensland Teachers' Union; Consideration (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the document. This document is a response from the Queensland Teachers' Union to a resolution passed by this chamber back on 20 March. I should say up-front...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the report of the committee on the review of the proposed amendments to the Home Affairs and Integrity...
  • Public Accounts and Audit Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I make a statement by way of a report relating to the draft budget estimates for the Australian National Audit Office and the Parliamentary Budget Office for 2018-19. I will also table the...
  • Law Enforcement Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, I present the Hansard record of proceedings and documents presented to the committee on its inquiries into the examination of...
  • Public Accounts and Audit Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, I present report No. 471, the Security of Overseas Missions, as well as executive minutes and responses on various reports. I move:...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2018; 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.
  • Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2018; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I table a revised explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That the Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2018 and the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment (Rates of Charge) Bill 2017 may...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Australian Building and Construction Commissioner; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I table a document relating to the order for the production of documents concerning the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Judiciary Amendment (Commonwealth Model Litigant Obligations) Bill 2017; Report from Committee (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the Chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, I present the committee's report on the Judiciary Amendment (Commonwealth Model...
  • Clean Energy Finance Corporation Amendment (Carbon Capture and Storage) Bill 2017; Report from Committee (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the Chair of the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, I present the committee's report on the Clean Energy Finance Corporation Amendment...
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Amendment (Indigenous Land Corporation) Bill 2018; Report from Committee (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the Chair of the Finance and Public Administration References Committee, I present the committee's report on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...
  • Family Assistance and Child Support Legislation Amendment (Protecting Children) Bill 2018; Second Reading (7 speeches)
    I rise to speak to the Family Assistance and Child Support Legislation Amendment (Protecting Children) Bill 2018. My colleague Senator Siewert has already spoken to the elements of this bill,...
  • Family Assistance and Child Support Legislation Amendment (Protecting Children) Bill 2018; In Committee (3 speeches)
    by leave—I move opposition amendment (1) on sheet 8425: ( 1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 2, column 1), omit "Parts 1 and 2", substitute "Part 1". The opposition also opposes schedule 1 in...
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Statement and Documents (1 speech)
    I table the budget statement for 2018-19 and other documents: The Budget 2018-19—Statement by the Treasurer (Mr Morrison), dated 8 May 2018 Budget papers— No. 1—Budget strategy...
  • Proposed Expenditure (1 speech)
    I table the following documents: Particulars of proposed expenditure in relation to the parliamentary departments for the year ending on 30 June 2019; Particulars of proposed and certain...
  • Portfolio Budget Statements (2 speeches)
    I table portfolio budget statements for 2018-19 and portfolio supplementary additional estimates statements for 2017-18 for portfolio and executive departments as listed on the Dynamic Red....
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Reproductive Health Services (1 speech)
    On Saturday, 28 April, I joined hundreds of people on Hobart's Parliament House lawns to stand with women and call on the Hodgman Liberal government to step up and provide equal access to...
  • Australian National Veteran Arts Museum (1 speech)
    I want to take this brief opportunity to draw the Senate's attention to a great institution in my home town of Melbourne—an institution which far too few people know about. I'm talking...
  • Murray-Darling Basin (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to voice my support for the agreement, reached over the last few days between Labor and the coalition, on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. I'm very pleased to say that Labor support...
  • Indigenous Employment (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to talk about the future of employment and services in Aboriginal communities, and to highlight the need for a different approach in remote, rural and regional communities. There...
  • Tennant Creek (1 speech)
    I rise to talk about the community of Tennant Creek, a fantastic town in the Northern Territory that's certainly doing its best as a community to deal with and move forward from some pretty tough...
  • 1968 (1 speech, 1 comment)
    I rise this evening to pay tribute to the rebels of 1968 on this, the 50th anniversary of that remarkable year. 1968 was one of those years when millions of people were involved in trying to...
  • Nakba: 70th Anniversary, Middle East (1 speech)
    Tonight I'm wearing around my neck a pendant of Handala. Handala is a beloved Palestinian cartoon character, a refugee child, a creation of cartoonist Naji al-Ali. Naji al-Ali was 10 years old...
  • Edwards, Mr Fred (1 speech)
    I'd like to speak tonight about a great Queenslander who died quite a few months a go. I wanted to take the chance to put on the record here in this chamber his great contribution. I speak of an...