Senate debates

Thursday, 19 October 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)
  • Australian Capital Territory Dangerous Drugs Bill 2023; Second Reading (19 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Australian Capital Territory Dangerous Drugs Bill 2023. Every Australian parent wants their children to grow up in a safe environment, every man and woman should be...
  • Higher Education Support Amendment (Response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Bill 2023; Second Reading (13 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Higher Education Support Amendment (Response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Bill 2023. Very regrettably, this bill comprises a poor and, frankly,...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    Pursuant to notice given on 18 October, on behalf of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2, for 11 sitting...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I present the 12th report for 2023 of the Selection of Bills Committee and I seek leave to have the report incorporated into Hansard. Leave granted. SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 12 OF...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator McCarthy for 18 and 19 October 2023, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That general business order of the day No. 7 be considered during general business today. Question agreed to.
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; Reference (1 speech)
    I move: That, noting that a fully empowered Royal Commission with appropriate terms of reference is necessary to learn from the unprecedented government response to COVID-19, the following matter...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme; Order for the Production of Documents (2 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Chisholm, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that in response to orders relating to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Financial Sustainability Framework...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Days and Hours of Meeting (4 speeches)
    I seek leave to amend government business notice of motion No. 2. Leave granted. At the request of Senator Chisholm, I move the motion as amended: That the days of meeting of the Senate for 2024...
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Chisholm, I move: (1) That estimates hearings by legislation committees for 2024 be scheduled as follows: 2023-24 additional estimates: Monday, 12 February and Tuesday,...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Legislation Committee on its inquiry into the Defence Capability Assurance and Oversight Bill...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Murray-Darling Basin Plan; Order for the Production of Documents (7 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Davey, I move: That— (a) the Senate notes that: (i) order for the production of documents no. 318, agreed to by the Senate on 6 September 2023, relating to the...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Commonwealth Bilateral Air Service Agreements Select Committee; Appointment (2 speeches)
    At the request of Senator McKenzie, I move: That— (a) the Select Committee on Commonwealth Bilateral Air Service Agreements, appointed by resolution of the Senate on 5 September 2023, as...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Identity Verification Services Bill 2023, Identity Verification Services (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2023; 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.
  • Identity Verification Services Bill 2023, Identity Verification Services (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2023; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    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— IDENTITY...
  • Higher Education Support Amendment (Response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Bill 2023; Second Reading (13 speeches)
    I rise to resume my remarks. As I was outlining to the chamber, this bill is a missed opportunity to seriously address the appalling rates of sexual assault on university campuses and in...
  • Higher Education Support Amendment (Response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report) Bill 2023; Third Reading (1 speech)
    The question now is that the remaining stages of the bill be agreed to and the bill be now passed.
  • Family Law Amendment Bill 2023, Family Law Amendment (Information Sharing) Bill 2023 (0 speeches)
  • Family Law Amendment Bill 2023, Family Law Amendment (Information Sharing) Bill 2023; Third Reading (1 speech)
    The question now is that the remaining stages of the bills be agreed to and the bills be now passed.
  • National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry Bill 2023, National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2023; Third Reading (1 speech)
    The question now is that the remaining stages of the bills be agreed to and the bills be now passed. Question agreed to. Bills read a third time.
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Israel (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. In response to a question from Senator Waters yesterday in relation to the explosion at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in...
  • Aviation Industry (26 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Senator Watt. Did the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport,...
  • Political Advertising (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Special Minister of State, Senator Farrell. The Liberals and the no campaign unashamedly used and amplified disinformation and misinformation in their campaign to defeat the...
  • Aged Care (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care, Senator Gallagher. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety found that unacceptable staffing levels in...
  • Parliamentary Staff (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. I am sure nobody in this chamber needs convincing as to the value that staff bring to each of our offices. It is not a secret that...
  • Australian Constitution (14 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Mr Albanese's failed referendum campaign hurt our country no matter how people voted. Members of the Prime Minister's...
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (22 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Senator Watt. Former special forces commando Heston Russell repeatedly asked for a correction and an apology for...
  • Australia: Bushfires (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Emergency Management, Senator Watt, on a very serious subject. Minister, currently my state of New South Wales is being impacted by around 50 fires that are...
  • Australia Consulate-General: San Francisco (33 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Farrell. Is it correct that you instructed Austrade to overturn a merits based selection process for Australia's Consul-General and...
• Answers to Questions on Notice (0 speeches)
  • Question No. 2312 (3 speeches)
    Pursuant to standing order 74(5), I ask the Minister representing the Minister for Defence for an explanation as to why an answer has not been provided to question on notice No. 2312, asked on 27...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Answers To Questions (13 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by coalition senators today. Today we saw the early, fresh signs of hubris on the part of the...
  • Political Advertising (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Trade and Tourism (Senator Farrell) to a question without notice asked by the Leader of the Australian Greens in the...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Human Rights Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present Human rights scrutiny report: report 11 of 2023.
  • Treaties Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, I present the 212th report of the committee.
  • Intelligence and Security Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present reports of the committee relating to the Counter-Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 and a...
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, I present the report on the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Amendment...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Defence Capability Assurance and Oversight Bill 2023; Report from Committee (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, I present a report on the Defence Capability Assurance and Oversight Bill 2023,...
  • Customs Legislation Amendment (Commercial Greyhound Export and Import Prohibition) Bill 2021; Report from Committee (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, I present a report on the Customs Legislation Amendment (Commercial...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of Senator O'Neill and the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, I present the interim report of the committee on Australia's tourism and international...
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of Senator Ciccone, I present the report of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee on the performance of the Department of Defence in supporting the capability and...
  • Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee; Delegated Legislation Monitor (2 speeches)
    I present Delegated legislation monitor12 of 2023 of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, together with ministerial correspondence. I move: That the Senate take note...
  • Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Scrutiny Digest (1 speech)
    On behalf of Senator Dean Smith, I present Scrutiny digest12 of 2023 of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, together with ministerial correspondence. I move: That the Senate take...
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, I table the interim report of the inquiry into Australia's tourism and international education...
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I rise to take note of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee's interim report on the performance of the Department of Defence in supporting the capability and capacity of...
  • Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Government Response to Report (3 speeches)
    I rise to speak on document No. 9, the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee report Adequacy of Australia's biosecurity measures and response preparedness, in particular...
• Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
  • Services Australia Security Risk Management Review (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Minister for Government Services, Mr Shorten, I table a ministerial statement on the Security Risk Management Review into staff safety at Services Australia.
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Murray-Darling Basin Plan; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I table documents relating to an order for the production of documents concerning the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) 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.
  • Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Bill 2023; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    I table a revised explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave...
  • Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Bill 2023, Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023; 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.
  • Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Bill 2023, Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    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— PUBLIC HEALTH...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Electoral Matters Joint Committee, National Anti-Corruption Commission Joint Committee; Membership (2 speeches)
    The President has received letters nominating senators to be members of committees.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Aviation Industry (9 speeches)
    I recall this debate well. I think I had a minute and—oh, more than I thought.
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Slacks Creek Rugby League Club (3 speeches)
    For those listening in their offices, they should note that the adjournment debate has commenced.
  • Western Australia: Gas Industry (1 speech)
    The recent episode of Four Corners gave a disturbing insight into the insidious influence of the gas industry on the Western Australian government and its institutions. In my home city of Boorloo...
  • Israel (1 speech)
    As is relatively well known, I carry in my handbag a copy of two important things that matter a great deal to me, the United Nations declaration on human rights and my rosary beads. But, after my...
  • COVID-19: Response (1 speech)
    I congratulate my coalition and crossbench colleagues today for finally getting up an inquiry into the terms of reference for a royal commission into COVID. It's long overdue, and it's no thanks...
  • Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 (1 speech)
    First responders and emergency service workers must be supported by the governments that employ them. Unfortunately, there is not a consistent approach around Australia and, disappointingly, my...
  • Cost of Living (2 speeches)
    What a week it's been, with the tragedies that have unfolded in Israel and the pressure that Israelis and Palestinians are experiencing. However, I think it's important that we also look at...