Senate debates
Wednesday, 1 September 2021
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Privilege (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
By letter dated 29 August 2021 Senator Patrick raised as a matter of privilege the failure of the Commissioner of Taxation to comply with an order of the Senate requiring the production of...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
- Bragg, Senator Andrew (3 speeches)
I rise to make some remarks about a defamation matter that I am dealing with in my role as a senator. On 18 May I received a letter and a concerns notice from Rebecca Sandford, special counsel...
- Fabian, Mr Garry, Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1 speech)
We should be deeply concerned about the growth in right-wing extremism, in Europe and in this country. ASIO tells us that 50 per cent of its time is now spent dealing with the threat of fascist...
- Greyhound Racing (1 speech)
[by video link] Today, I want to talk about something we rarely hear about in this place: animals and their wellbeing. Australians love animals, yet so many of our animal welfare laws lag behind...
- Australian National Flag Day (1 speech)
I rise to note that this Friday, 3 September 2021, is Australian National Flag Day. On this day, we celebrate Australia's foremost national symbol and the most recognisable expression of...
- Workplace Relations (1 speech)
[by video link] The Senate Select Committee on Job Security inquiry heard from working Australians, businesses, industry groups, academics and unions from around the country this year about the...
- Naval Shipbuilding Plan (1 speech)
[by video link] I rise today to speak about naval shipbuilding. When I was listening to the debate on Monday about the Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Approval of Overseas Service) Bill, brought...
- Jersey Day (1 speech)
I rise today to speak about Jersey Day and the Nathan Gremmo Community Fund. Many of my colleagues here in this chamber today across all sides have supported this magnificent cause. This year,...
- COVID-19: Indigenous Health (1 speech)
Deception, incompetence, neglect—words that hollowly echo the real anguish and fear spreading through communities in regional New South Wales. The Prime Minister on so many occasions has...
- COVID-19: New South Wales (2 speeches)
Thank you, Senator O'Neill, for giving me a very good opening to what I wanted to discuss today, because I also wanted to talk about the situation in western New South Wales. But it's not all...
- Statements (0 speeches)
- Prime Minister (1 speech)
[by video link] What we just saw was more apologies from the National Party for the utter failures of this Prime Minister. In regional New South Wales, the vaccine rollout, despite what the Prime...
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1 speech)
I rise today to speak again on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's latest release, just last month. I want to talk about TS17, where they say there is a 'near linear relationship...
- Media (1 speech)
Like many Australians, I watched the Four Corners series 'Fox and the big lie' over the last two Mondays. While it wasn't surprising viewing for those of us who closely monitor far-Right media...
- COVID-19: Employment (1 speech)
I rise today to join with the Maritime Union of Australia, the Maritime Industry Australia Limited and Ports Australia in calling for greater recognition of maritime workers as essential workers...
- Covid-19 (1 speech)
[by video link] I want to comment about the state and federal governments' lack of a plan. It's costing people enormously, sometimes costing people's livelihoods and lives. I checked with the...
- Afghanistan (1 speech)
I rise to add my voice to those of Senate colleagues on what continues to unfold in Afghanistan. The country's collapse to the Taliban was a tragedy in itself, but to have been so quickly...
- Cybersecurity (1 speech)
[by video link] Yesterday Bloomberg confirmed what many of us already knew: China was responsible for hacking the parliamentary email system last year, and that was part of a much broader attack...
- Early Childhood Educators Day (1 speech)
Happy Early Childhood Educators Day. It's a day when we thank our incredible early learning educators and acknowledge, celebrate and recognise their work and the amazing contribution they make to...
- Gas Industry (1 speech)
[by video link] We are in a climate crisis, yet the major parties are continuing to approve fossil fuel projects to support the corporations who donate to them instead of taking the action that...
- Social Housing (1 speech)
[by video link] Social housing was once viewed by Australian governments as an important safety net for low-income families. But over the last 30 years this has changed, and Australia is now...
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (1 speech)
There are nearly 29,000 people in Australia living with HIV. Thanks to treatment advances, it is now a treatable chronic illness, but there are still people in Australia going without treatment...
- Environment (1 speech)
[by video link] The takayna/Tarkine contains unique and precious Aboriginal heritage, spectacular wilderness and Australia's largest tract of temperate rainforest. It is deeply saddening that...
- Australian Agriculture Visa (1 speech)
[by video link] I rise today to talk about our recently announced Agriculture Visa. This has been a long-held initiative of the Country Liberal Party and the National Party, and I am very glad it...
- Prime Minister (1 speech)
[by video link] We all know Mr Morrison is shameless when it comes to spin, but his most shameless spin yet is that he is the one who offers Australia a pathway to reopening, when he is the one...
- Queensland: COVID-19 (2 speeches)
[by video link] Queensland markets itself as the Sunshine State, but, for people holed up in quarantine hotels, 'sunshine' is just the light source they can see from behind their locked doors....
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Western Australia: COVID-19 (19 speeches)
My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Cash. In an article this morning in the Australian titled 'Feds muscle up on borders', the Attorney-General warned state governments they may once...
- COVID-19: Economy (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister advise the Senate of what the June 2021 national accounts demonstrate about Australia's...
- COVID-19: Indigenous Health (16 speeches)
[by video link] My question is to Senator Colbeck, the minister representing the Minister for Health. Does the national plan require First Nations vaccination rates to match those in the rest of...
- COVID-19: Economy (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. Can the minister outline to the Senate how the $311 billion in...
- Animal Welfare (8 speeches)
My question is to Senator McKenzie, representing the Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia. Three years ago more than 100 dogs died as a result of eating a particular brand of dry dog...
- Water Infrastructure (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator McKenzie. Can the minister inform the Senate of the ongoing investment by...
- Climate Change (8 speeches)
My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Birmingham. Morrison government MPs have asked the Prime Minister to fund chaplains in every school to allay young people's...
- Defence Equipment (8 speeches)
[by video link] My question as to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence. It's almost two years since the then defence minister, Senator Reynolds, advised on 6PR radio that a decision...
- Inland Rail (22 speeches)
My question is to the minister representing the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator McKenzie. When did the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr...
- COVID-19: Pacific and South-East Asia (7 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Seselja. A government senator: Hear, hear! Hear, hear, indeed! Can the minister advise the Senate how...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That: (a) a motion relating to the 70th anniversary of the Security Treaty between Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America (ANZUS) may be moved immediately...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- COVID-19: Western Australia (7 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Attorney-General (Senator Cash) to a question without notice she asked today relating to COVID-19 and Western Australia. Yesterday and...
- Climate Change (1 speech)
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 school chaplains. My question to...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
I move: That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings: National Health...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Matters of Urgency (0 speeches)
- COVID-19: Indigenous Australians (13 speeches)
I inform the Senate that I have received the following letter from Senator Lines: Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate,...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Postponement (1 speech)
I seek leave to postpone business of the Senate notice of motion No. 1 standing in the name of Senator Whish-Wilson for today, proposing a reference to the Environment and Communications...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Economics References Committee; Membership (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That Senator Pratt replace Senator McAllister on the Economics References Committee for the committee’s inquiry into the Australian manufacturing industry, and...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- National Health Amendment (COVID-19) Bill 2021, National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Amendment Bill 2021, Paid Parental Leave Amendment (COVID-19 Work Test) 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.
- National Health Amendment (COVID-19) Bill 2021, National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Amendment Bill 2021, Paid Parental Leave Amendment (COVID-19 Work Test) Bill 2021; Second Reading (1 speech)
I table a revised explanatory memorandum relating to the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (COVID-19 Work Test) Bill 2021, and I move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have...
- Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect at Work) Amendment Bill 2021; In Committee (35 speeches)
The committee is considering the Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect at Work) Amendment Bill 2021, as amended, and amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 1382, moved by Senator McAllister. The...
- Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect at Work) Amendment Bill 2021; Third Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
- Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No. 2) Bill 2021; Second Reading (5 speeches)
I'm not entirely sure where I was up to in my summing-up speech, so I will quickly again run down the details of the Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No. 2) Bill 2021. Obviously, schedule 1...
- Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No. 2) Bill 2021; In Committee (5 speeches)
by leave—At the request of Senator Hanson, I move Pauline Hanson's One Nation's amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 1442: (1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 1), omit the table item, substitute:...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Afghanistan (1 speech)
The sacrifice of Australian forces in Afghanistan shows our nation at its best. Almost 40,000 Australian troops served in Afghanistan to defeat terrorists and support our allies. Forty-one...
- Employment (1 speech)
I rise to speak regarding two reports which have been released this year: the Productivity Commission's productivity insights report and the Intergenerational report. Together they have painted a...
- Economy (1 speech)
[by video link] I rise to speak tonight on productivity, hardly an original issue to raise but an important one all the same. Many here have spoken previously about the importance of productivity...
- Women's Health Week, National Summit on Women's Safety (10 speeches)
Within days, one of the most important weeks of the year will be upon us. Women's Health Week begins next Monday, 6 September, and runs through until Friday 9 September. It will be five big days...
- Afghanistan (1 speech)
The fall of the Afghan government and the subsequent Taliban takeover have quite rightly sent shockwaves around the world. Largely, the public discourse is centred around a narrative that the...
