Senate debates

Monday, 19 June 2023

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Australia's Disaster Resilience Select Committee, Education and Employment Legislation Committee, Education and Employment References Committee, Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023; Third Reading (38 speeches)
    In relation to this very significant bill, I move: That this bill be now read a third time.
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Consideration of Legislation (30 speeches)
    I seek leave to move a motion to provide for the consideration of the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill 2023 and related bills. Leave not granted. Pursuant to contingent notice standing in the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Education Legislation Amendment (Startup Year and Other Measures) Bill 2023; Second Reading (20 speeches)
    Several months ago, I visited the UTS Startups hub, an exceptional example of a university accelerator course working as it should without imposing a massive debt trap on students. The UTS...
• Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
  • Victoria: Warrandyte District, Victorian Government (1 speech)
    I rise to congratulate Nicole Ta-Ei Werner, the Liberal candidate for the Victorian seat of Warrandyte, who was pre-selected yesterday, from a very competitive field, by grassroots Liberal...
  • Kennedy, Ms Janette Mary (1 speech)
    I rise today to remember Janette Mary Kennedy, a proud member of the Australian Labor Party, who, sadly, passed away on Friday 26 May this year. Jan joined the ALP in 1964 and has been a stalwart...
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1 speech)
    Last week, we saw the shocking decision from the ABC to cut 120 jobs across various newsrooms. This has been one of the biggest redundancies that the ABC has seen since 2020. It will result in...
  • Climate Change (1 speech)
    In 1970, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, 'Weather experts fear air pollution, if unchecked, will bring on a new ice age.' In 1978, a documentary was made featuring Leonard Nimoy, of Star...
  • Workplace Safety (1 speech)
    I rise to speak about the very serious matter of workplace deaths and injuries which have been in the media over the last few months. Too often, it's very clear that workplaces do not effectively...
  • Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Voice (1 speech)
    It seems that activists on the Prime Minister's Referendum Working Group just can't help themselves. For months the Prime Minister has been telling Australians that the Voice would be 'a modest...
  • Health Care (1 speech)
    Last month, I, like many in this place, received hundreds of emails from community pharmacists from across Australia begging us to fight against the Albanese government's ill-thought-out 60-day...
  • Australian Constitution: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (1 speech)
    Today was a historic day, with the passing of the legislation that will enable a referendum on a voice to parliament. Like many Australians, this will be the very first referendum that I get to...
  • Immigration Detention (1 speech)
    This week is Refugee Week. It's an appropriate time to reflect that it has been almost exactly 10 years since offshore detention was restarted on 19 July 2013, a decade since the Labor government...
  • Cost of Living, Energy (1 speech)
    It's only been 12 months since the Labor Party came to power, but thanks to the PM, Mr Albanese, Australians are struggling through a cost-of-living crisis, with inflation at over seven per cent....
  • Closing the Gap (1 speech)
    As shadow minister for child protection, I raise this: new data released just last week puts four of the 19 Closing the Gap targets on track. Only four is less than a quarter of the Closing the...
  • Housing (1 speech)
    tor TYRRELL (—) (): How many homes do the Greens want built? Do they want any at all? They said they do. They just don't vote like they do. By voting down 30,000 homes, you are saying you'd...
  • Australian Constitution: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (1 speech)
    THORPE () (): I'd like to wish everyone a happy 'assimilation day'. I'm sure you all feel pretty stoked with yourselves. I see you even gave yourselves a nice round of applause. You are one step...
  • Western Australia: Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 (1 speech)
    enator BROCKMAN () (): I rise today to continue talking about the failure of Labor governments at state and federal level to have any consideration for regional areas. At best, they ignore...
  • Housing (4 speeches)
    As Senator Farrell said earlier today, there was an axis of evil conspiring in the chamber today, and that axis of evil was on full show last week and again today. Today it was the Greens and the...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. Minister, in the Australian newspaper on Saturday respected political commentator and author Paul Kelly wrote: Gallagher denied...
  • Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Voice (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament started with Indigenous Australians. More than 1,200 First...
  • Members of Parliament: Staff (8 speeches)
    My question is to the minister representing the Attorney-General, my fellow Queenslander Senator Watt. Does the Attorney-General agree that the Commonwealth should act as a model litigant in all...
  • Housing (48 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Housing in the Senate, Senator Farrell. Minister, two-thirds of renters are experiencing rental stress. For many renters, one more...
  • Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Voice (12 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. I refer to an article this morning on the front page of the Australian newspaper regarding a member of the Referendum...
  • Pharmaceutical Industry (21 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Gallagher, the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care. The opposition supports Australians having cheaper and easier access to medicines. However,...
  • Environment (14 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Resources, Minister Farrell. In the 2023-24 budget, there was a commitment for $12 million over three years for a review of the...
  • Housing (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance and the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. The Albanese government understands safe, secure and affordable housing is central to...
  • Budget (22 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. Last Friday the government made an announcement for $2 billion in payments to the states and territories. Is this...
• Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • Australian Constitution: Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Voice (1 speech)
    I have some additional information for Senator Hanson, in relation to her question. I am advised as follows. We can rule reserved seats out. They are not our policy. The government's policy is...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Pharmaceutical Industry, Budget (14 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Gallagher) to questions without notice asked by Senator Ruston and Senator Hume relating to the...
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Wong) today to questions without notice I asked today relating to the Aboriginal and Torres...
  • Environment, Housing (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Trade and Tourism (Senator Farrell) today to questions without notice I and Senator Faruqi asked today relating to the...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That general business order of the day No. 44, Broadcasting Services Amendment (Prohibition of Gambling Advertisements) Bill 2023 be considered on Wednesday 21 June and Thursday 22 June...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator.
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bills be listed on the Notice Paper as 2 orders of the day: (a) the Financial Accountability Regime Bill 2023 and the Financial Accountability Regime (Consequential...
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Grogan from 20 to 22 June 2023 for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Uluru Statement from the Heart (9 speeches)
    At the request of Senator McCarthy and Senator Cox, I move the motion standing in my name and the name of Senator Cox: That the Senate— (a) endorses the implementation of the Uluru...
• Governor-General's Speech (0 speeches)
  • Address-in-Reply (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher, I move: That, on Monday, 31 July 2023: (a) the address-in-reply be presented at 9.30 am to His Excellency the Governor-General by the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Freeze on Rent and Rate Increases Bill 2023; First Reading (1 speech)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator McKim, move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to federal financial relations and the Reserve Bank of Australia,...
  • Freeze on Rent and Rate Increases Bill 2023; 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 and have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard and to continue...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Department of Finance: Procurement Policy; Order for the Production of Documents (4 speeches)
    I seek leave to amend general business motion of notice No. 250 to provide a due date of Thursday 22 June, rather than Tuesday 20 June. Leave granted. At the request of Senator Hume, I move the...
  • Department of Finance: Budget Estimates; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    tor ASKEW (—) (): I seek leave to amend general business motion of notice No. 251 to provide a due date of Thursday 22 June, rather than Tuesday 20 June. Leave granted. At the request of...
  • National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation; Order for the Production of Documents (9 speeches)
    I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, by no later than midday on Thursday, 22 June 2023: (a) all grant...
  • National Disability Insurance Agency; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    STEELE-JOHN () (): I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Treasurer, by no later than 5 pm on Tuesday, 20 June 2023, the NDIS Financial Sustainability Framework....
  • Department of the 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, all submissions to the Treasury consultation on public...
  • Maugean Skates; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I move: (1) 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 22 June 2023: (a) the letter sent by the Minister...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment Bill 2023; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988, and for related purposes. Australian Capital Territory...
  • Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment Bill 2023; 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 I seek leave to have...
• Matters of Urgency (0 speeches)
  • Australian Defence Force (8 speeches)
    I inform the Senate that Senator Lambie has submitted a proposal to the President under standing order 75: Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move "That, in the...
  • Ukraine (10 speeches)
    The Senate will now consider the proposal received from Senator Chandler: Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • SmartCard Scheme; Order for the Production of Documents (3 speeches)
    I table a document relating to the order for production of documents relating to the SmartCard scheme.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Ministers of State Amendment Bill 2022; 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.
  • Ministers of State Amendment Bill 2022; 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 Ministers of State...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; Reference (4 speeches)
    In continuation of my remarks: what I want the Senate to approve is to have an inquiry into Aboriginal identity fraud. The Labor Party is in denial and have clearly stated they don't believe...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Education Legislation Amendment (Startup Year and Other Measures) Bill 2023; Second Reading (8 speeches)
    Before I was interrupted, I was talking about the struggles that so many students face—living in poverty, with totally inadequate student and youth allowance, and then ending up at the end...
  • Education Legislation Amendment (Startup Year and Other Measures) Bill 2023; In Committee (94 speeches)
    by leave—I move government amendments (1) and (2) on sheet PF120 together: That the House of Representatives be requested to make the following amendments: (1) Clause 2, page 2 (table),...
  • Infrastructure Australia Amendment (Independent Review) Bill 2023; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    On behalf of the coalition, I rise to speak on the Infrastructure Australia Amendment (Independent Review) Bill 2023. The purpose of this bill is to amend the Infrastructure Australia Act 2008 to...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Tasmania: Aquaculture Industry (1 speech)
    Tasmanian aquaculture and, in particular, the salmon industry across Tasmania continue to be world leaders, despite concerns raised by vocal minorities. I proudly stand by the many Tasmanians and...
  • Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (1 speech)
    I just want to make it very clear that the opposition supports cheaper and easier access to medicines. In fact, during our time in government, between 2013 and 2022, we listed 2,900 new or...