Senate debates

Monday, 22 February 2021

• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That— (a) a motion to take note of a statement made by the Minister for Defence (Senator Reynolds) on 18 February 2021 may be moved immediately; (b) senators may...
• Statements (0 speeches)
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (5 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the statement made by the Minister for Defence, Senator Reynolds, on 18 February 2021. This has been a distressing time for Ms Higgins, for many staff in this...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Presentation (1 speech)
    I give notice of my intention at the giving of notices later today to withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 1, standing in my name for today, proposing the disallowance of part 3...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Save the Koala) Bill 2021; Second Reading (13 speeches)
    I rise this morning to speak in favour of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Save the Koala) Bill 2021. This is an important piece of legislation which this...
  • Franchising Laws Amendment (Fairness in Franchising) Bill 2020; Second Reading (8 speeches)
    I am pleased today, as a Labor senator, to rise and speak on the Franchising Laws Amendment (Fairness in Franchising) Bill 2020. The bill is a practical, albeit limited, response to the work that...
  • Franchising Laws Amendment (Fairness in Franchising) Bill 2020; Third Reading (3 speeches)
    As no amendments to the bill have been circulated, I shall call the mover of the bill to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bill be considered in Committee of the Whole.
  • Transport Security Amendment (Serious Crime) Bill 2020; Second Reading (20 speeches)
    When considering this legislation and Labor's amendments, can I urge members of the crossbench to also consider the private senator's bill recently introduced by Senator Keneally. It is Labor's...
• Questions to the President (0 speeches)
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (1 speech)
    I table further information with respect to questions asked by Senator Waters last week.
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • JobKeeper Payment (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. When JobKeeper ends at the end of March, how many people will lose their jobs?
  • COVID-19: Vaccination (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. Can the minister please update the Senate on the start of the plan to roll out the COVID...
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (12 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Reynolds. On Thursday the Prime Minister disclosed in House question time that the minister met with the Assistant Commissioner of the...
  • COVID-19: Australia-India-Japan-United States Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Will the minister update the Senate on the recent Quad ministerial meeting and advise how Australia, India, Japan and the United...
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Given that a fourth woman has now come forward with sexual assault allegations against the same perpetrator,...
  • Employment (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. To date, how many employers have registered to claim payments under the JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme? And how...
  • Australia Post (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister in the Senate, Senator Birmingham. Christine Holgate led Australia Post to record revenue levels in a period of immense challenge...
  • COVID-19: Vaccination (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Cash. With the COVID-19 vaccine rollout now underway, could the minister...
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (18 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Reynolds. At any time did the minister disclose to the Prime Minister that her former staff member Ms Higgins had made allegations she was...
  • Manufacturing (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Senator Seselja. The Morrison government has committed $1.5 billion to the Modern Manufacturing...
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. I refer to reports that at least four women have come forward with allegations of alleged sexual assault,...
  • Employment: People with Disability (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Ruston. This is something that's close to my heart and close to the hearts of those on the government benches. How is the...
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (21 speeches)
    I have a question this afternoon for Senator Reynolds, the Minister for Defence. Reports indicate the minister's then chief of staff sought advice from the Department of Finance about the...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • JobKeeper Payment (5 speeches)
    ) ( ): I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Birmingham) to questions without notice asked by Senators Gallagher and Gallacher today relating...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    Pursuant to notice given on 18 February 2021, I withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2 standing in my name for today proposing the disallowance of the Veterans' Affairs (Treatment...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senators Askew and O'Sullivan from 22 to 25 February 2021, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Energy (8 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) the Energy Security Board stated in January 2021 that the system security of the power grid is at a critical status after the influx...
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (2 speeches)
    I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 1013 standing in my name by deleting one word. Leave granted. I amend the motion in the terms circulated in the chamber and ask that it...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Australia's Family Law System Joint Select Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    I move: (1) That the time for the presentation of the final report of the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Family Law System be extended to 30 June 2021. (2) That a message be forwarded to...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Future Submarines; Order for the Production of Documents (5 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Wong, I move: That— (a) there be laid on the table by the Minister for Defence, by no later than 9.30 am on Wednesday 24 February 2021, documents (including text...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Climate Change (2 speeches)
    I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1019 be taken as a formal motion.
  • Housing Affordability (2 speeches)
    I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1015 be taken as a formal motion.
• Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
  • ASIC Corporations, Credit and Superannuation (Internal Dispute Resolution) Instrument 2020/98; Disallowance (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Ruston, I move: That today— (a) at 4 pm, the business of the Senate notice of motion proposing the disallowance of Part 3 of the ASIC Corporations, Credit and...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Members of Parliament: Staff, Housing Affordability, Climate Change (12 speeches)
    I seek leave to move general business notices of motion Nos 1013, 1019 and 1015 together. Leave granted. I move general business notices of motion No. 1013, stand anything my name; No. 1015,...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    by leave—I wish to withdraw notice of motion No. 1 on the Notice Paper for 25 February 2021.
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Job Security (12 speeches)
    I inform the Senate that, at 8.30 am today, 26 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)
  • Electric Vehicles; Consideration (2 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the document. It was a very interesting response that was received from the Premier of Tasmania to our Senate resolution from last December which called upon...
  • Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, Cashless Debit Card; Order for the Production of Documents (3 speeches)
    by leave—I table documents relating to orders for the production of documents concerning royal commission confidentiality provisions and the cashless debt card.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Refunds of Charges and Other Measures) Bill 2020; 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.
  • Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Refunds of Charges and Other Measures) Bill 2020; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— Today I introduce the...
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Bill 2021; 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.
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Bill 2021; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I table an addendum to the explanatory memorandum and revised explanatory memorandum, and move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech...
  • Transport Security Amendment (Serious Crime) Bill 2020; Reference to Committee (4 speeches)
    Under standing order 115(2)(a), I move: That this bill be referred to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 11 March 2021. One thing...
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Bill 2021; Second Reading (20 speeches)
    The bill before us in the chamber, the Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Bill 2021, as we know, is a bill to establish a mandatory code of...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Workplace Relations (1 speech)
    Many had hoped that 2021 would see Mr Albanese and the Labor Party adopt a much more mature approach to industrial relations, but I'm afraid, upon reflection, we have had no such luck. As with...
  • COVID-19: Tourism (1 speech)
    Earlier this month we passed a sombre anniversary for the tourism sector. Monday 1 February marked the beginning of the travel bans which threw our tourism industry into crisis. As one of the...
  • Water (1 speech)
    In serving the people of Queensland and Australia, tonight I will review the National water reform 2020: Productivity Commission draft report, dated February 2021, a periodic review of the...