Senate debates

Thursday, 15 June 2023

• 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)
  • Ending Native Forest Logging Bill 2023; Second Reading (9 speeches)
    We are here on Ngunnawal country, and I acknowledge the First Peoples of this land and pay my respects to them. Sovereignty has never been ceded by the peoples of this land nor by the First...
  • Home Affairs Bill 2023; 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. by leave—I move: That— (a) the questions on all...
  • Home Affairs Bill 2023; Second Reading (5 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— The Home Affairs Bill...
  • Home Affairs Bill 2023; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    No amendments have been circulated. Does any senator require a committee stage? There being none, I call the minister.
  • Public Interest Disclosure Amendment (Review) Bill 2022; In Committee (15 speeches)
    The committee is considering the Public Interest Disclosure Amendment (Review) Bill 2022 and amendments (1) to (3) on sheet ZB203, together, moved by Minister Watt. The question is that the...
  • Public Interest Disclosure Amendment (Review) Bill 2022; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the bill be read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (Child Support Measures) Bill 2023; Second Reading (4 speeches)
    This bill works to improve debt recovery and help prevent future debts for low-income parents, and for that reason the coalition will be supporting this bill. Two of the measures in the bill are...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    I move: That business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2 standing in the name of Senator Hanson-Young for today, relating to the inquiry reference of the Middle Arm Industrial Precinct to the...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (7 speeches)
    I present the 6th report of 2023 of the Selection of Bills Committee and I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The report read as follows— SELECTION OF...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Gallagher, I move: That general business notice of motion No. 241 be considered during general business today. Question agreed to.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; Reference (8 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senators Canavan, Cadell, Fawcett, McDonald, Henderson, McKenzie, O'Sullivan, Duniam, Scarr, Chandler, Ruston, Cash, Rennick, Antic, McGrath, Reynolds and Kovacic, move:...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Amendment (Administrative Changes) Bill 2023; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012, and for related purposes. Question agreed to. I present the bill...
  • Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Amendment (Administrative Changes) Bill 2023; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I table the explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
    I move: That standing order 110 be suspended to enable the third reading of the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023 to be passed without a roll call....
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water, by no later than 10 am on 16 June 2023, the letter in respect of the Great Barrier...
  • Treasury; Order for the Production of Documents (5 speeches)
    I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Treasurer, by no later than 6 pm on Wednesday, 21 June 2023: (a) all documents (including background material, agenda...
  • Attorney-General's Department; Order for the Production of Documents (5 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Cash, I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Attorney-General, by no later than 5 pm on 20 June 2023: (a) all communications between...
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers; Order for the Production of Documents (2 speeches)
    I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Attorney-General, by no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, 21 June 2023: (a) all communications between Australian Federal...
  • Infrastructure and Transport Ministers' Meetings; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator McKenzie, I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, by...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Environment and Communications References Committee; Reference (1 speech)
    The Senate will now deal with a deferred vote relating to a closure motion moved yesterday by Senator Liddle concerning a proposed reference to the Environment and Communications References...
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; Reference (2 speeches)
    I move: That the following matter be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 12 September 2023: Indigenous identity fraud caused by: (a)...
• Statements (0 speeches)
  • Personal Explanation (1 speech)
    I seek leave to make a personal statement under standing order 190. Leave granted. Yesterday I made remarks in relation to another senator. I then had to withdraw them because the rules of the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (Child Support Measures) Bill 2023; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I commend this bill to the chamber. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time.
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (Child Support Measures) Bill 2023; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    ENT (): 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.
  • Creative Australia Bill 2023, Creative Australia (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023; Second Reading (13 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Creative Australia Bill 2023, which is cognate with the Creative Australia (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023. The purpose of the Creative Australia Bill...
• Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
  • Pharmaceutical Industry (1 speech)
    Today Western Australia is served by over 600 pharmacies that provide a central, community-based health support for all Western Australians. So many of them have contacted me in recent weeks...
  • Childhood Educators (1 speech)
    Last week, early childhood educators made the first ever national application for supported multi-employer bargaining in the Fair Work Commission. In doing that, they made history—with 65...
  • Renewable Energy (1 speech)
    After a decade of denial and thumb twiddling, the renewable energy transition is happening in earnest. Managed properly with robust, transparent and early community engagement, the prior and...
  • Domestic and Family Violence (1 speech)
    The investment is significant and yet the statistics remain staggering. The Northern Territory Police this week responded to 597—I repeat: 597—domestic and family violence callouts in...
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (1 speech)
    On the weekend we celebrated the Barunga Festival. I'd like to read the Barunga declaration from the four land councils. It states: We, members of the four Northern Territory Aboriginal land...
  • Mental Health (1 speech)
    We're all mindful of the importance of mental health—how to be aware of it and when to reach out for help. But being vulnerable and opening up to someone isn't an easy thing to do. It's...
  • Budget (1 speech)
    I compliment Senator Tyrrell on that very good contribution. It's something we should be extremely concerned about, so thank you, Senator. I'd like to talk about another big spending, big taxing...
  • Road Safety (1 speech)
    What Australians woke up to on Monday morning was devastating and life altering for hundreds of people impacted by the tragic death of 10 people in a bus crash in the Hunter. This year has been a...
  • Juvenile Detention (1 speech)
    The Albanese government can't continue to turn away while the states and territories lock up and abuse children. Despite decades of evidence, inquiries, reports and recommendations regarding the...
  • Lindenmayer, Professor David, AO (1 speech)
    I wish to correct the Hansard if I may. For some reason I said earlier that Professor David Lindenmayer worked with the Climate Change Institute. David Lindenmayer AO is a professor at the Fenner...
  • Lawrie, Ms Jean Louise (1 speech)
    It is with great sadness that I rise to acknowledge the life of Jean Lawrie, who passed away on 29 May, aged 95 years. Jean was born on 25 February 1928 and grew up on her parents' farm in the...
  • Parliamentary Standards (5 speeches)
    I have to comment today on Senator Thorpe's remarks in this chamber with regard to the safety of this building. I first entered parliament when I was first elected as an independent, and no-one...
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers (1 speech)
    The PwC tax scandal is just one example of the unethical behaviour our inquiry into the integrity of consultants is uncovering. Every day brave whistleblowers contact me with stories of conflict...
  • Tasmania: Infrastructure (1 speech)
    The Albanese Labor government continues to fail the people of Tasmania. Yesterday I put on record how disappointed people are about how the Tasmanian federal Labor team have prioritised a stadium...
  • Postcards to the Front (1 speech)
    I rise to speak about Postcards to the Front. Started by Tamara Levit in Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine, this initiative invites people from around the world to send short messages of hope and...
• Statements (0 speeches)
  • Personal Explanation (13 speeches)
    Senators, Senator Van is going to make a statement, and I am requesting that he is listened to in silence.
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Members Of Parliament: Staff (13 speeches)
    My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Wong. On 4 June 2021 in a Senate committee hearing, when confronted about whether Senator Gallagher knew of allegations of an...
  • Climate Change (30 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Wong. The Liberals and Nationals wasted nearly a decade with denial and inaction on climate change....
  • Members Of Parliament: Staff (29 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. Minister, I refer to the allegations of sexual assault that were the subject of intense questioning by you over the months from...
• Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
  • Australian Political Exchange Council: United States (1 speech)
    I want to draw to the attention of honourable senators the presence in the gallery of the Australian Political Exchange Council's 36th delegation from the United States of America, led by the...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Health Care (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Gallagher. The Senate inquiry into universal access to reproductive health care found that it was a...
  • Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Farrell. On 31 May 2023 the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement entered into force. According to the minister's media...
  • Tasmania: Family Law (14 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister representing the Attorney-General, Senator Watt. On 25 May, legal practitioners on the north-west coast of Tasmania were advised the Federal Circuit and Family...
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (23 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. Minister, in your statement to the Senate on Tuesday, and repeatedly since that time, you've acknowledged you received information...
  • Indigenous Australians (14 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Gallagher. Minister, I know you have had a pretty tough week, so all I want is a yes or no to the...
  • Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Watt. Our agriculture sector relies heavily on good trading relationships. We export around 70 per cent of what we...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Answers to Questions (23 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked today. The biggest issue facing Australian families right now is how they pay their bills....
  • Indigenous Australians (3 speeches)
    I seek leave to make a short statement.
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
    On behalf of the respective chairs, I present additional information received by committees relating to the following estimates: Budget estimates 2022-23 (Supplementary)— Education and...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Treaties Joint Committee, Human Rights Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties I present the committee's report entitled 209th report: Treaty on Extradition between Australia and the Czech Republic. And on behalf of the...
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    The way that Australia sends troops overseas is broken. It is undemocratic. It is unaccountable. Most concerning of all, it lacks any transparency and is deliberately vague, to the point of...
• Petitions (0 speeches)
  • Housing (1 speech)
    by leave—I table in the Senate a non-conforming petition from Glenunga International High School's Amnesty International Club with over 250 signatures from students calling on governments...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Community Affairs References Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I wanted to rise today to make a brief statement on the recently concluded Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee inquiry into universal access to reproductive healthcare. The report was...
  • Law Enforcement Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I rise as chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement to speak about the committee's report examining the Australian Federal Police annual reports of 2020-21 and 2021-22 and the...
  • Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Additional Information (1 speech)
    I'm proud to chair the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee. Senate committees like RRAT provide an opportunity for organisations and individuals to participate in...
  • Economics References Committee; Government Response to Report (14 speeches)
    I speak to the government's response to the Economics References Committee report Systemic, sustained andshameful: unlawful underpayment of employees' remuneration. Quite clearly we've seen the...
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee; Report (1 speech)
    This Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee report is on adaptive sport programs for Australian Defence Force veterans. I want to talk about an organisation in my neck of the...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Calvary Public Hospital (13 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes the concern of many Canberrans about the significant legislation that the Australian Capital Territory Labor-Greens Government has passed to compulsorily...
• Statement by the President (0 speeches)
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (1 speech)
    Senators, before we move to the next matter, I indicated to the chamber earlier today that I would make a statement on events. As senators would be aware, yesterday the Deputy President referred...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023; Second Reading (13 speeches)
    In 1967, Australians considered a question at a referendum that proposed alterations to the Constitution to remove discrimination against Aboriginals and to include them in the national census....