Senate debates

Wednesday, 11 August 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. There being none, we shall move on.
• Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
  • Closing the Gap (20 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the Closing the Gap ministerial statement and the Commonwealth implementation plan. I rise today to acknowledge the Indigenous people of our country. We pay...
• Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
  • COVID-19: Vaccination (3 speeches)
    I rise today to speak on a matter that is critical to the security of our nation and the welfare of our population. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many valuable lessons. Many of these have...
  • Tay-Sachs Disease (1 speech)
    [by video link] Today I want to draw the Senate's attention to one of South Australia's most remarkable residents, Ms Anna Pak Poy, and the work of the foundation started by her and her husband,...
  • Domestic and Family Violence (1 speech)
    For almost three years now I've moved motions each sitting acknowledging the number of women killed by violence since the previous Senate sitting—a small gesture to keep this issue in the...
  • Agriculture Industry (1 speech)
    Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, agricultural producers have been hit with a range of disruptions that have threatened operations. The Morrison government sought to listen to industry and...
  • Workplace Relations (1 speech)
    [by video link] The High Court's recent decision in the landmark WorkPac v Rossato case was a huge victory for multinational, multibillion-dollar labour hire firms. It was also a huge victory for...
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (1 speech)
    [by video link] I rise to belatedly speak on the community affairs report on effective approaches to prevention, diagnosis and support of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. This was an inquiry I...
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Beijing Winter Olympics (1 speech)
    Today, the ABC has again shown it is incapable of responsibly spending taxpayers' money. The ABC has been raised with a silver spoon in hand and now the self-entitled beast has once again shown...
  • Marine Parks: Indian Ocean Territories, Cashless Debit Card, Asylum Seekers (2 speeches)
    [by video link] The Indian Ocean Territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are an incredibly unique and fascinating part of my constituency of the Northern Territory. The...
• Statements (0 speeches)
  • Landcare Australia (1 speech)
    [by video link] Last Thursday, Australia's most dedicated and passionate Landcarers were given recognition in front of over 2,400 attendees online at the National Landcare Awards. Landcare...
  • Tokyo Olympic Games (1 speech)
    While the Tokyo Olympic Games have sadly come to an end, we can relish in the success of our athletes and the welcome distraction their performance provided from the pandemic. Australian athletes...
  • COVID-19: International Travel (1 speech)
    [by video link] Today marks 509 days since Australia's borders closed on 20 March 2020—509 days. This situation has posed such challenges and caused such heartbreak for so many in our...
  • JobKeeper Payment (1 speech)
    [by video link] Anyone wondering what side the Morrison government is on need only look at the way Mr Morrison is dealing with the JobKeeper rorts saga. While billionaires like Gerry Harvey have...
  • Covid-19 (1 speech)
    Security is not provided by police and military who are busy harassing law-abiding citizens for the supposed crime of dissent. Security is not provided by unelected bureaucrats who never lose...
  • Port of Newcastle (1 speech)
    I rise to speak about serious concerns regarding the lack of regulatory oversight at the half Chinese owned Port of Newcastle. Why is this of particular interest to me, as a Victorian senator? It...
  • Prime Minister (1 speech)
    Our Prime Minister doesn't like to take responsibility. We saw it with the bushfires, we saw it with Brittany Higgins, and we've seen it with his ducking and weaving over ministerial scandals. Of...
  • Point Peron (1 speech)
    [by video link] Our precious places should be enjoyed by all of us, not just billionaires who can afford yachts and bayside megamansions. Developers and the Liberal Party have had their eyes on...
  • Forestry (1 speech)
    I have some concerns about the Australian plantation timber industry and I've had them for a while. In September 2018 the government announced a National Forest Industries Plan, touted as a...
  • COVID-19: Political Cartoons (1 speech)
    Thank goodness for Australia's political cartoonists, I say. This week on Insiders we saw the host of Talking Pictures, Mike Bowers, with his guest cartoonist, David Pope, summarising the week's...
  • COVID-19: International Travel (1 speech)
    Holders of subclass 188 visas, also known as wealthy investor visas, need to be wealthy enough to have invested at least $1½ million in Australia. Holders of these visas are automatically...
  • Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games (1 speech)
    What an amazing fortnight of sport we have just witnessed! Our congratulations and thanks go to all Australian athletes and officials for an outstanding effort at the 2020 Olympics. Today I would...
  • Cabaero, Ms Lina (1 speech)
    [by video link] Over the weekend, Australia lost one of its quiet heroes. Lina Cabaero was a lifelong activist and feminist and the leader of Asian Women at Work, a key community organisation in...
  • COVID-19: Hospitality and Tourism Industries (1 speech)
    Today we've seen lockdowns further extended in Victoria and we're seeing extended lockdowns across basically the eastern seaboard, and perhaps during these times there are no businesses more...
  • Queenstown: Commonwealth Bank (2 speeches)
    Yesterday or the day before, the Commonwealth Bank notified that they were closing their branch in western Tasmania at the Queenstown site. That is a very isolated area of Tasmania, and we all...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • COVID-19: Morrison Government, COVID-19: New South Wales (13 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Today 344 new cases have been reported in New South Wales, with 62 people currently in an ICU, and, tragically,...
  • National Security (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Cash. Can the Attorney-General advise the Senate how the Liberal-National government is equipping our law enforcement and security agencies with...
  • COVID-19: Vaccination (14 speeches)
    [by video link] My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Colbeck. More than two months ago ATAGI and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of...
  • Australia's Digital Economy (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy, Senator Hume. On the day that Australia's leading tech companies have come together to launch the...
  • COVID-19: Vaccination (8 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Colbeck, representing the Minister for Health, and relates to the vaccine rollout and booster shots. I asked a series of questions on notice to the health minister in...
  • Disability Services (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, Senator Ruston. Can the minister please advise the Senate how the Liberal-National government is helping people with a disability...
  • Indigenous Australians (8 speeches)
    [by video link] My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister. The current target for reducing overimprisonment of black kids by 30 per cent and adults by 15 per cent won't...
  • Aged Care (8 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Colbeck. One of the three aged-care facilities in Whyalla operated by Kindred Living, the Annie Lockwood Court...
  • COVID-19: Child Care (12 speeches)
    [by video link] My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education and Youth, Senator Reynolds. Trent from Carlton in Sydney has been told by his childcare centre that they...
  • Higher Education (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Regionalisation, Regional Communications and Regional Education, Senator McKenzie. Can the minister advise the Senate how the Liberal-National government is...
  • Covid-19 (20 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. Today 344 new cases have been reported in New South Wales, with 62 people currently in ICU...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • COVID-19: Morrison Government, COVID-19: New South Wales (9 speeches)
    (): I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Birmingham) to a question without notice she asked today relating to the COVID-19 outbreak in New...
  • Indigenous Australians (2 speeches)
    On behalf of Senator Thorpe, 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 Thorpe today...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    [by video link] Pursuant to notice given yesterday on behalf of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2 for...
• Condolences (0 speeches)
  • Beale, Mr Julian Howard (1 speech)
    It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 3 August 2021, of Julian Howard Beale, a former member of the House of Representatives for the divisions of Deakin and Bruce in...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Community Affairs Legislation Committee, Economics Legislation Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on any of those at the request of any senator. There being none, we will proceed to the discovery of formal business.
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Industry Growth Centres; Order for the Production of Documents (3 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Watt, I move: That— (1) The Senate notes that: (a) on 5 August 2021, the Senate resolved to request that there be laid on the table by the Minister representing...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Prime Minister (6 speeches)
    I inform the Senate that, at 8:30 am 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....
• Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
  • Social Security (Parenting payment participation requirements - class of persons) Instrument 2021; Disallowance (5 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Dodson, I move: That sections 4 and 6 of the Social Security (Parenting payment participation requirements - class of persons) Instrument 2021, made under the Social...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Prime Minister (15 speeches)
    Before the interruption I was talking about the recent approval of the Moderna vaccine in Australia; in particular, the fact that 140 million doses have been administered in the United States...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Additional Information (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Community Affairs Legislation Committee, Senator Askew, I present additional information received by the committee in its inquiry into the provisions of the Aged...
  • Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee; Delegated Legislation Monitor (3 speeches)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, Senator Fierravanti-Wells, I present Delegated Legislation Monitor No. 12 of 2021, and I move: That the...
  • Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Scrutiny Digest (1 speech)
    On behalf of the chair of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, Senator Polley, I present Scrutiny Digest 12 of 2021.
  • Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Report (2 speeches)
    At the request of the chair of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, Senator Sterle, I present the report of the committee, Management of the Inland Rail...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Modern Manufacturing Initiative, COVID-19: Doherty Institute, Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I table documents relating to orders of the Senate for the production of documents concerning the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, the Doherty institute modelling of Australia's COVID-19...
  • Modern Manufacturing Initiative; Order for the Production of Documents (5 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That the Senate take note of the documents. Well, here we are again. It's deja vu. I feel like I only just spoke in this place about Minister Porter's failure to comply...
  • Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program; Order for the Production of Documents (5 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That the Senate take note of the document. I rise to take note of the ministerial statement that is essentially a soz-we-can't-comply-because-we-don't-want-to letter for...
  • COVID-19: Doherty Institute; Order for the Production of Documents (9 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That the Senate take note of the documents. I wish to take note of the government's response to Senate order for the production of documents No. 1208, which I moved...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Report (1 speech)
    [by video link] I got involved with the inland rail matter due to constituents contacting me with their concerns about it. I support the concept of the inland rail from the Melbourne port to the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Customs Amendment (2022 Harmonized System Changes) Bill 2021, Customs Tariff Amendment (2022 Harmonized System Changes) 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.
  • Customs Amendment (2022 Harmonized System Changes) Bill 2021, Customs Tariff Amendment (2022 Harmonized System Changes) 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— CUSTOMS AMENDMENT...
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No. 5) 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 (2021 Measures No. 5) Bill 2021; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    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— TREASURY LAWS AMENDMENT...
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No. 2) 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 (2021 Measures No. 2) 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— This Bill makes a...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; Reference (7 speeches)
    I move: (1) That the Senate notes that: (a) a former officer of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), known as Witness K, provided the Government of the Democratic Republic of...
• Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
  • Closing the Gap (2 speeches)
    In 2007, the Council of Australian Governments committed to closing the gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Indigenous Australians. In 2008, during his...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Rail, Tram and Bus Union, Scalas, Ms Fortunata (1 speech)
    I'd like to make a contribution on two very important matters. The first I'd like to address is the great work of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union and their campaign, Keep Freight on Aussie Trains....
  • Higher Education (1 speech)
    [by video link] It is hard to describe the current dire state of affairs for Australian universities without getting very angry at the Morrison government. Make no mistake: at every single turn...
  • COVID-19: Vaccination (1 speech)
    Australians and people worldwide criticise politicians. After three years in parliament, I know why. Yet people allow politicians to rule their lives and allow governments to take control of...