Senate debates

Tuesday, 10 August 2021

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Meeting (7 speeches)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator. There being none, I'll move on.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Climate Change (30 speeches)
    I seek leave to move a motion relating to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Leave not granted. Pursuant to contingent notice standing in my name, I move: That so much of the standing...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Subsidy) Bill 2021; Second Reading (13 speeches)
    This afternoon we're here to debate the Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Subsidy) Bill 2021, and what we are seeing today is the government finally admitting that they've been...
• Statements (0 speeches)
  • Climate Change (1 speech)
    [by video link] The latest report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that South Australia is already facing more extreme heat, drought and catastrophic bushfires and...
  • Medical Workforce (1 speech)
    [by video link] I rise to pay tribute to doctors and health professionals everywhere, but especially those in our rural towns and those who train them. James Cook University in my home town of...
  • Climate Change (1 speech)
    [by video link] Yesterday's report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was described as a code red for humanity by none other than the UN Secretary-General. He said: The alarm bells...
  • Newman, Mr Campbell Kevin Thomas, AO (1 speech)
    I'd like to commend the actions of all South-East Queenslanders over the last few days in taking serious steps to ensure that we could emerge from lockdown. I also express my concern for...
  • COVID-19: International Travel (1 speech)
    [by video link] It is time to close Australia's international border to non-Australian citizens and protect our nation from state premiers obsessed with endless lockdowns triggered by imported...
  • Climate Change (1 speech)
    This morning we saw some Australians exercising their democratic right to protest out the front of this building. Unfortunately some of them did not do so in a respectful way, and they deserve to...
  • Tokyo Olympic Games, Gambling Advertising (1 speech)
    [by video link] I'd like to begin by congratulating our Olympic squad on their fantastic performance in Tokyo. One thing that makes the Olympics special is its power to bring us together in one...
  • Census (1 speech)
    I rise today to speak on the 2021 census. It's a critically important survey of our nation which has tremendous impact on the work of parliament. I want to call out a campaign led by Humanists...
  • Climate Change (1 speech)
    This morning, we saw an act of complete bastardry against the Australian people here at Australian Parliament House. The Greens support group Extinction Rebellion vandalised this place—the...
  • Defence Equipment, Defence Procurement (1 speech)
    Hardly a month goes by without a warning, a prediction or a story about a Defence project that is over budget, running late or failing to deliver. Today, again, shipbuilding is in the news. The...
  • Asylum Seekers (1 speech)
    [by video link] I want to update the Senate on the refugees held in Darwin. We've had big changes in the last 24 hours. Mojtaba, his wife, Afsaneh, and their son Benham, who were waiting to go to...
  • Aquaculture Industry (1 speech)
    Last week big, aggressive, foreign-owned, multinational corporation JBS announced it is buying into Huon Aquaculture, diving into the troubled, divisive and controversial Tasmanian salmon...
  • Magnitsky, Mr Sergei (1 speech)
    Yesterday in this place there was a discussion in relation to global Magnitsky laws. I think it is incredibly important that whenever we discuss these laws we remember and pay tribute to the man...
  • Sterling Income Trust (1 speech)
    I rise this afternoon to express my dismay that victims of the Sterling Income Trust collapse have been left out of the compensation scheme of last resort as currently drafted by Treasury. There...
  • Climate Change (1 speech)
    Today we saw a disgraceful shutting down of debate by the Morrison government when Labor, in this place, tried to move an urgency motion to discuss the IPCC's latest report. It came out last...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • COVID-19: Vaccination (14 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. Can the minister confirm that the Morrison government placed its first order of Moderna in May,...
  • Small Business (8 speeches)
    My question is to a fellow Western Australian, the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. Can the minister advise the...
  • Climate Change (48 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Before the horror 2019-20 bushfire season, Mr Morrison ignored warnings from experts and from former fire...
  • Middle East (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on maritime security threats in the Middle East region?
  • COVID-19: Vaccination (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Reports indicate that Mr Morrison will pursue 'freedom incentives', and Mr Morrison has said that Australians...
  • COVID-19: Pacific and Timor-Leste (8 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Seselja. Can the minister advise the Senate on how Australia is supporting the economic needs of our...
  • Climate Change (10 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Minister Seselja. Senator, it's no secret that I've been sceptical about climate change in the past....
  • COVID-19: Income Support Payments (12 speeches)
    [by video link] My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. The Morrison government has sent more than 11,000 debt notices for $32 million to social...
  • Broadband (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, my fellow Victorian senator Senator Hume. Can the minister advise the...
  • COVID-19: Income Support Payments (13 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Government Services, Minister Reynolds. Minister, the government has issued 11,771 people with a debt notice after review of their income support payments and...
• Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • COVID-19: Vaccination (1 speech)
    [by video link] I undertook to provide some more information on Moderna in response to Senator Gallagher's question today. The Moderna deal was announced on 13 May following the completion of...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • COVID-19: Income Support Payments (10 speeches)
    At the request of Senator McAllister, I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Birmingham) to a question without notice asked by Senator Bilyk...
  • Climate Change (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment (Senator Hume) to a question without notice asked by Senator McKim today...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Presentation (1 speech)
    [by video link] On behalf of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I give notice of my intention at the giving of notices on the next day of sitting to withdraw...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Sterle from 3 to 12 August 2021 for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Finance and Public Administration References Committee; Reference (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Rice, I move: That the following matter be referred to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee for inquiry and report by 2 December 2021: The...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    On behalf of Senator Ruston, I move: That on Wednesday, 11 August 2021: (a) at 4 pm, the business of the Senate notice of motion proposing the disallowance of the Australia's Foreign Relations...
  • Consideration of Legislation (2 speeches)
    I move: That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Sunsetting Review and Other Measures) Bill 2021, allowing it...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Human Rights (Targeted Sanctions) Bill 2021; First Reading (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Rice, I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act relating to targeted sanctions for human rights violations, and for related purposes. Question...
  • Human Rights (Targeted Sanctions) Bill 2021; 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 seek leave to have the...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Minister for the Environment; Order for the Production of Documents (9 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Hanson-Young, move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, by 9 am on Thursday, 12 August 2021, all...
  • COVID-19: Doherty Institute; Order for the Production of Documents (2 speeches)
    I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, by no later than 9.30 am on Wednesday, 11 August 2021, the terms of reference, full...
  • Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Resources and Water, by no later than 1 pm on Thursday, 12 August 2021, the following documents relating to...
  • Climate Change; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I seek leave to amend the return date for this OPD from Thursday 12 August to Monday 23 August. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That there be laid on the table by the Minister...
• Matters of Urgency (0 speeches)
  • Climate Change (30 speeches)
    I inform the Senate that at 8.30 today 14 proposals were received in accordance with standing order 75. The question of which proposal would be submitted to the Senate was determined by lot. As a...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Job Security Select Committee; Corrigenda to Report (1 speech)
    At the request of the Chair of the Select Committee on Job Security, Senator Sheldon, I present a corrigendum to the committee's first interim report.
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the Chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, Senator McDonald, I present the committee's report in respect of the...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Intelligence and Security Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I rise today to present a report by way of a statement of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and...
  • Migration Joint Committee (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, I present the committee's Final Report of the inquiry into Australia's skilled migration program.
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
    We now move to reports presented out of sitting: the Community Affairs Legislation Committee Progress report: budget estimates 2021-22.
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I table a document relating to the order for the production of documents concerning the government response to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade's report on the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals) 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.
  • Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals) Bill 2021; 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— The Customs Tariff...
  • Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration Charges) Amendment Bill 2021, Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) Amendment Bill 2021, Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Cost Recovery and Other Measures) Bill 2021, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Charges) Amendment Bill 2021; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That these bills may proceed without formalities, may be taken together and be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bills read a first time.
  • Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration Charges) Amendment Bill 2021, Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) Amendment Bill 2021, Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Cost Recovery and Other Measures) Bill 2021, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Charges) Amendment Bill 2021; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speeches read as follows— Education...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Economics References Committee; Reference (16 speeches)
    On behalf of Senators Rice and Carr, I move: (1) That the Senate notes that the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Subsidy) Bill 2021; Second Reading (14 speeches)
    [by video link] I rise to speak on the Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Subsidy) Bill 2021. I start by stating that Labor broadly supports this bill, because, of course, we...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • The National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management, National Pain Services Directory (1 speech)
    Tonight I'm going to speak about two important initiatives: Australia's national action plan for pain management and Painaustralia's updated National Pain Services Directory. Both were launched...
  • Tokyo Olympic Games: Transgender Athletes (1 speech)
    I rise today to reflect on the Olympic Games in Tokyo, which finished on Sunday. Like Senator Chandler, I witnessed performances which, as Senator Chandler put it, captured 'the essence of the...
  • COVID-19: Income Support Payments (1 speech)
    I rise this evening to speak about this government's relentless debt collection against people on income support. It was revealed through questions on notice through estimates that the government...
  • COVID-19: State and Territory Border Closures (1 speech)
    [by video link] This evening I raise the case of my constituents Mary-Anne and Billy Hemsley, who live in Curlewis in Geelong, the mother and stepfather of 15-year-old Tahlia Wale. Tahlia...
  • United Nations (1 speech)
    The United Nations food systems presummit last week in Rome recommended a dietary limit of 14 grams of red meat per person per day. That's one bite. As a servant to the people of Queensland and...
  • Queensland: Dams (1 speech)
    Annastacia Palaszczuk and Queensland Labor continue to fail Queensland farmers. First, they made the decision to destroy Paradise Dam, in what is Australia's greatest infrastructure fail. They...
  • Human Rights (1 speech)
    [by video link] Tonight, as I do most Tuesday nights, I want to speak about human rights, because the Australian Greens believe that universal human rights are fundamental and must be respected...
  • Climate Change (2 speeches)
    [by video link] Every person in this country should be absolutely ashamed that the so-called Prime Minister of this country—a man absolutely committed to not doing his job—today...
  • National Security (1 speech)
    I rise to speak about the prosecution in the ACT courts of barrister and former Attorney-General of the ACT Bernard Collaery. The prosecution has proved very controversial for two reasons. The...
  • Cancer (1 speech)
    [by video link] A few short weeks ago my beautiful wife, Kristin Griff, passed away after a long and distressing battle with an aggressive form of breast cancer. She was not alone. A shocking...