Senate debates

Thursday, 18 February 2021

• 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)
  • Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Provider Category Standards and Other Measures) Bill 2020; Second Reading (9 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Provider Category Standards and Other Measures) Bill 2020. Labor will be supporting this bill before the Senate today. This...
  • Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Provider Category Standards and Other Measures) Bill 2020; In Committee (46 speeches)
    I move Greens amendment (1) on sheet 1130: (1) Schedule 1, item 15, page 7 (after line 15), after subsection 59A(4), insert: (4A) A determination under subsection (4) must provide that, in having...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Presentation (1 speech)
    I give notice of my intention, at the giving of notices on the next day of sitting, to withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2, standing in my name for the next day of sitting,...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (4 speeches)
    I present the second report of 2021 of the Selection of Bills Committee and I seek leave to have the report incorporated into Hansard. Leave granted. The report read as follows— SELECTION...
• 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; (b) government business be called on after consideration of...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    Does any senator wish for the question to be put on any of those notifications? If not, we will proceed.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin (2 speeches)
    At the request of Senator McMahon, I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1001, relating to the 79th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin, be taken as a formal motion.
  • JobSeeker Payment (2 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Pratt, I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1005, relating to the JobSeeker program, be taken as a formal motion.
  • Cyclone Yasa (2 speeches)
    I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1006, relating to the Cyclone Yasa humanitarian relief, be taken as a formal motion.
  • JobKeeper Payment (2 speeches)
    At the request of Senators Gallagher and Farrell, I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1007, relating to the JobKeeper program, be taken as a formal motion.
  • Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (2 speeches)
    At the request of Senator McAllister, I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1009, relating to environment protection reform, be taken as a formal motion.
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Answers to Questions on Notice; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Kitching, I move: That— (a) the Senate notes at the time of lodgement of this notice of motion:   (i) 631 answers to questions on notice from the...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (5 speeches)
    I move: (1) That the Senate notes the significant questions arising from the allegations of rape made by Ms Brittany Higgins and the response of the Minister for Defence. (2) That the Minister...
  • COVID-19: Vaccine (10 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Siewert, move: That the Senate calls on the Government to: (a)   develop a publicly owned manufacturing facility that enables Australia to produce...
  • Anzac Day (6 speeches)
    I seek leave to amend general business No. 1010 standing in my name. Leave granted. I want to thank Senator Wong for her interest and her support in this and her help in changing it.
  • JobSeeker Payment, JobKeeper Payment, Environmental Legislation (10 speeches)
    I seek leave to move motions Nos 1005, 1007 and 1009 together, and that they be determined without amendment or debate. Leave not granted. I move: That so much of standing orders be suspended as...
  • Bombing of Darwin: 79th Anniversary, Fiji: Cyclone Yasa (4 speeches)
    I seek leave to move general business notices of motion Nos. 1001 and 1006 together and for the motions to be determined without amendment or debate. Leave not granted. I move: That so much of...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator McMahon for today, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, Family and Domestic Violence (1 speech)
    The President has received messages from the House of Representatives agreeing to the Senate resolutions relating to International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day and violence against women.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2020 Measures No. 2) Bill 2020; Second Reading (3 speeches)
    Labor supports this bill. It will assist the rollout of Australia's vaccine program and, as such, should be supported by the entire Senate. However, this bill will not ensure we have a...
  • Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2020 Measures No. 2) Bill 2020; 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.
  • Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals and Other Measures) Bill 2020; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    This bill amends the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to incorporate customs tariff proposals that provided concessional rates of customs duty for goods required to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill...
  • Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals and Other Measures) Bill 2020; 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.
  • Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Provider Category Standards and Other Measures) Bill 2020; In Committee (5 speeches)
    I'd like to ask the minister, before we conclude this debate, whether the government thinks that universities can meet the research thresholds that it has set out in these standards, given that...
  • Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Provider Category Standards and Other Measures) Bill 2020; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a third time.
  • Transport Security Amendment (Serious Crime) Bill 2020; Second Reading (6 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Transport Security Amendment (Serious Crime) Bill 2020. Transport security—the security of our ports and airports—is fundamental to controlling our borders and...
• Statements (0 speeches)
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (6 speeches)
    I seek leave to make a statement.
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • JobKeeper Payment (12 speeches)
    My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham: The RBA Governor, Dr Lowe, told the National Press Club, 'When the JobKeeper program finishes at the end of...
  • COVID-19: Vaccine (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. Can the minister update the Senate on the latest developments in the plan to roll out the COVID...
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. This morning Peter van Onselen revealed that, in response to Ms Higgins going public about her alleged rape in...
• Questions to the President (0 speeches)
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (10 speeches)
    Mr President, my question is to you, regarding Brittany Higgins's rape allegations. Did you or your staff tell the Prime Minister or any of his staff or any other members of the ministry that a...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Future Frigate Program (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Defence and relates to the Future Frigate Program. In June 2018, the Type 26 was announced as the basis for what we now know as the Hunter class frigate, with...
  • Employment (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. Could the minister please update the Senate on the state of the labour market following today's ABS...
  • NBN Co (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister confirm that, from July to December last year, while Australia was in recession, NBN doled out...
  • News Media and Digital Platforms (11 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Hume, the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts. Can the minister please update the House on how the Morrison...
  • COVID-19: Tourism (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator Payne. According to data from the Tourism and Transport Forum, the tourism sector continues to...
  • North Queensland: Disaster Resilience (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management, Senator Ruston. Can the minister please update the Senate on how the Morrison...
  • Donations to Political Parties (20 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Reynolds. Did Minister Dutton disclose to the Prime Minister that he received a political donation from the...
• Statements (0 speeches)
  • Parliament House: Counselling and Support Services (1 speech)
    by leave—I wish to alert the chamber to some resourcing decisions being taken by the government around the Employment Assistance Program. As senators all realise, some very challenging and...
• Answers to Questions on Notice (0 speeches)
  • Question Nos 13 to 23 and 363 to 399 (3 speeches)
    Under standing order 74(5)(a), I seek an explanation from the Minister for Women, Senator Payne, as to why question Nos 13 to 21 and 363 to 399, which I placed on notice in the Finance and Public...
  • Question No. 69 (17 speeches)
    Pursuant to standing order 74(5), I ask the Minister representing the Prime Minister for an explanation as to why an answer has not been provided to question on notice No. 69, asked of the...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • JobKeeper Payment, COVID-19: Tourism (5 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Birmingham) and the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Payne) to questions without notice asked by...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee; Delegated Legislation Monitor (4 speeches)
    I present Delegated Legislation Monitor No. 3 of 2021 of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, and I move: That the Senate take note of the report. I would like to...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • JobSeeker Payment; Consideration (3 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the document. Among the documents listed is an important item of debate that has great importance in the parliament and in the Australian community, which, of...
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation; Consideration (3 speeches)
    I seek to take note of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's annual report for 2019-20. There's been a lot of talk in this chamber in recent times about bonuses. Australia Post has been...
  • Australia Post; Consideration (1 speech)
    I just want to go through a little bit of detail to start with. It was clearly an exceptional year for Australia Post. It was an exceptional year in terms of income, and profit before tax was...
  • Climate Change Authority; Consideration (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the Climate Change Authority's Report for 2019-20. I seek leave to continue my remarks. Leave granted; debate adjourned.
  • NBN Co Limited; Consideration (6 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of NBN Co Limited's Report for 2019-20. The reason I really want to focus on this particular report is that there's an amazing community of great business...
  • Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission; Consideration (1 speech)
    I want to draw attention to the 2019-20 report of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission because the ACNC is an absolutely critical regulatory and governance organisation within...
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Proposed Additional Expenditure (1 speech)
    I table the following documents: Particulars of proposed additional expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 2021 [Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2020-2021]. Particulars of certain...
  • Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements (1 speech)
    I table portfolio additional estimates statements for 2020-21 for portfolios and executive departments, as listed on the Dynamic Red. Copies are available from the Senate Table Office. Estimates...
• Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • Consumer Safety (1 speech)
    I table a response to a question taken on notice during question time on 16 February 2021 asked by Senator Griff relating to consumer safety and seek leave to have the document incorporated into...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Government Funding (12 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate agrees that there should be no discrimination based on skin colour, race, religion or ethnic background when determining the level and use of funding in all cases where:...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Domestic and Family Violence (1 speech)
    This week marks the anniversary of something very sad. It marks the day that this world lost a family in the most tragic of circumstances. Hannah Clarke and her three children, Aayliah, Laianah,...
  • Tertiary and Further Education (1 speech)
    I concur with the previous speaker's comments in relation to domestic violence and the impact on families, but I want to speak tonight about the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been a wicked...
  • Crown Resorts: Donations to Political Parties (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to speak on the conduct of the Crown Resorts casinos and the urgent need for the establishment of a national gambling regulator. The New South Wales inquiry report by Patricia...
  • Cyclone Yasa (1 speech)
    I'm very pleased to rise during this adjournment debate and speak to a positive news story and to advise how pleased I was that earlier today I had the opportunity to move a motion which was...
  • Scarr, Senator Paul (10 speeches)
    I rise today to refute a statement made recently in this place by Senator Scarr, who sought to impugn the integrity of a former parliamentarian without any basis. On 3 February, Senator Scarr did...
  • Racism (2 speeches)
    I rise to speak against the motion from the senator for Queensland, as part of my adjournment speech contribution. You know how they say that a broken clock is right at least twice a day? Well, I...