Senate debates

Monday, 15 October 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.
• Privilege (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    Senators will be aware of an investigation referred to the Australian Federal Police by the Department of Home Affairs in which search warrants were executed in Canberra on 11 October and...
• Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (4 speeches)
    I seek leave to make a statement of not more than 10 minutes. Leave granted. It has been a difficult few weeks for the ABC, but its important work continues. The ABC is one of the important...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Sexual Discrimination (1 speech)
    I seek leave to move a motion in relation to discrimination by independent schools against teachers and students on the grounds of sexual orientation. Leave not granted.
  • Suspension of Standing Orders (12 speeches)
    Pursuant to contingent notice, I move: That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent Senator Hinch from moving a motion relating to the consideration of a matter, namely a...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That general business order of the day no. 76 (Criminal Code and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Commonwealth Restrictions on Cannabis) Bill 2018) be considered today at the time...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Criminal Code and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Commonwealth Restrictions on Cannabis) Bill 2018; Second Reading (5 speeches)
    On behalf of the Liberal Democrats, I introduced my bill removing Commonwealth restrictions on cannabis. The Liberal Democrats have called for the legalisation of cannabis for both medicinal and...
  • Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018, Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018; Second Reading (11 speeches)
    The most important thing to understand about the Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018 and the related bill is that...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Communications and the Arts, Senator Fifield. In response to damning allegations of political interference with the ABC, the minister asked the secretary of his...
• Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I draw to the attention of honourable senators the presence in the chamber of a parliamentary delegation from Germany led by the President of the Bundesrat and Governing Mayor of Berlin, Mr...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Small Business (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education, Senator Cash. Can the minister update the Senate on how the Liberal-National government is helping...
  • Religious Freedom Review (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. On 20 September, the Senate passed a second motion ordering the production of the report by the Religious Freedom Review Expert Panel....
  • Trade (9 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator Birmingham. Will the minister advise the Senate on the benefits of the Export Market Development Grants scheme for...
  • Climate Change (16 speeches)
    My question is for the Leader of the Government, representing the Prime Minister. Last week, 91 of the world's leading climate scientists meticulously reviewed over 6,000 studies and issued a...
  • Wentworth By-Election (14 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. Former Liberal leader and member for Wentworth, John Hewson, has declared that voters in Wentworth: … could...
  • Western Australia Police Force (8 speeches)
    My questions are for Senator Cash, who's representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, in the Senate. In the past five federal budgets, the Commonwealth has provided $6.5 million in...
  • Telecommunications (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation, Senator McKenzie. Can the senator update the Senate on recent developments to the...
  • Great Barrier Reef Foundation (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Minister Cormann. Last week, former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stated in a letter to the Senate Environment and Communications...
  • Death Penalty (8 speeches)
    On behalf of Senator Dean Smith, co-chair of the Australian parliamentarians against the death penalty group, and myself, I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne, for an update on...
  • Asylum Seekers (29 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs. Minister, I draw your attention to the humanitarian calamity your government has created on Nauru, where children have...
  • Goods and Services Tax (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. The Liberal Treasurer of New South Wales has said about GST distribution that 'every Treasurer from every state...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Religious Freedom Review Expert Panel; Order for the Production of Documents (12 speeches)
    I seek leave to move a motion relating to an order for the production of a document, namely the final report of the Religious Freedom Review Expert Panel.
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (15 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Communications and the Arts (Senator Fifield) to a question without notice asked by the Leader of the Opposition in the...
  • Asylum Seekers (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education (Senator Cash) to a question without notice asked by Senator...
• Condolences (0 speeches)
  • Cunningham, Mr Barry Thomas (1 speech)
    It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death on 12 September 2018 of Barry Thomas Cunningham, a member of the House of Representatives for the division of McMillan, Victoria, from...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Presentation (1 speech)
    I give notice that on the next day of sitting I shall move a motion relating to the review into religious freedoms in Australia and pertaining to the introduction of legislation to abolish the...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Polley from 15 to 18 October 2018, on account of parliamentary business. Question agreed to.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Invictus Games (4 speeches)
    I wish to inform the chamber that Senators McKenzie and Payne will also sponsor this motion. At the request of Senators Bilyk, Brown, Farrell, McKenzie and Payne, I move: That the Senate: (a)...
  • International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day (4 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senators McCarthy, Rice, Molan, Gichuhi and Bilyk, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) today marks International Pregnancy and Infant Loss...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    I withdraw general business notice of motion No. 1099 standing in my name for today relating to human rights in Tibet.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • A Fair Go for Australians in Trade Bill 2018; First Reading (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Carr, I move: That the following bill be introduced: a Bill for an Act to give Australian workers a fair go in trade agreements and to fix the way the Commonwealth...
  • A Fair Go for Australians in Trade Bill 2018; 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...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    On behalf of Senator Duniam, I ask that notice of motion No. 1100 be withdrawn.
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 1104, standing in my name for today, concerning an order for the production of documents relating to the Royal Commission into...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Palestinian Liberation Organization (10 speeches)
    I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1073 standing in my name for today, relating to the Palestinian Liberation Organization, be taken as a formal motion.
  • Australian Society (21 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate acknowledges: (a) the deplorable rise of anti-white racism and attacks on Western civilisation; and (b) that it is okay to be white. I seek leave to make a short statement.
  • Adani Mining (7 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) Adani Mining, as part of the Adani Group, is currently being investigated by the Department of the Environment and Energy for...
  • Genetically Modified Organisms (4 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) has recommended, in draft amendments, that organisms that have been altered by...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Trade (1 speech)
    I inform the Senate that, at 8.30 am today, 11 proposals were received in accordance with standing order 75. The question of which proposal would be submitted to the Senate was determined by lot....
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Aged Care Complaints Commissioner; Consideration (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the document. I want to take note of the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner's Annual report 2017-18. I know this has been in the media, but I want to point out...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters; Report (2 speeches)
    I present the second advisory report of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters on the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017, and I move:...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Telecommunications Legislation Amendment Bill 2018; Explanatory Memorandum (1 speech)
    I table a replacement explanatory memorandum relating to the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment Bill 2018. The memorandum responds to matters raised by the Environment and Communications...
• Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • Minister for Home Affairs (1 speech)
    I table a response from Senator Cormann to a question taken on notice during question time on 20 September 2018, asked by Senator Watt, relating to the matter of responses to the Legal and...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Electoral Matters Committee, Privileges Committee; Membership (2 speeches)
    The President has received letters requesting changes in the membership of various committees.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018, Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018; Second Reading (31 speeches)
    In the last few minutes left of my speech, I'd like to summarise for the chamber that the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, an agreement that has taken nearly 13 years to get to this...
  • Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018, Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018; In Committee (19 speeches)
    I move: (1) Clause 2, page 2 (cell at table item 2, column 2), omit the cell, substitute: [commencement] The objective of this amendment is to prevent the enabling legislation commencing until...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Domestic and Family Violence (1 speech)
    Outside her Traralgon home, in my home state of Victoria, Gayle Potter was run over and killed by her husband. She leaves three children behind. Jacqueline Francis died of stab wounds, murdered...
  • Golf (1 speech)
    The benefits of sport in Australia are widely understood. The benefits of participating in sporting activity are unquestioned in Australia. One of the greatest things that are probably unremarked...
  • Warragamba Dam (1 speech)
    Right now in the parliament of my home state of New South Wales sits a bill that would devastate national parks. The New South Wales government is proposing to raise the Warragamba Dam wall by 14...