Senate debates

Thursday, 9 November 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.
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
    I move: That general business order of the day no. 61, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Small Business Redundancy Exemption) Bill 2023 and 3 related bills, be considered today at the time for...
• Statement by the President (0 speeches)
  • Parliamentary Conduct (24 speeches)
    Before we move to the consideration of the private senators' bills, I have a statement to make about the review I undertook of debate on Monday night during which unparliamentary and personal...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (18 speeches)
    I seek leave to move a motion relating to the consideration of private senators' bills as circulated in the chamber. Leave not granted. Pursuant to contingent notice of motion, I move: That so...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Small Business Redundancy Exemption) Bill 2023, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Protections Against Discrimination) Bill 2023, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency) Bill 2023, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (First Responders) Bill 2023; Second Reading (14 speeches)
    The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Small Business Redundancy Exemption) Bill 2023 closes a loophole currently in that law that a small business doesn't have to pay redundancy to workers when...
  • Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Small Business Redundancy Exemption) Bill 2023, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Protections Against Discrimination) Bill 2023, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency) Bill 2023, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (First Responders) Bill 2023; Third Reading (1 speech)
    The time allotted for the consideration of these bills has now expired. The question is that the remaining stages of the bills be agreed to and the bills be now passed. Question agreed to. Bills...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I present the 13th 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)
    I move: (a) Government business orders of the day as shown on today's order of business be considered from 12.15 pm; (b) Government business then be called on and considered till not later than...
  • Leave Of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to the following senators: (a) Senator Brown for 10 November 2023, for personal reasons; (b) Senator Gallagher for the 9th and 10th of...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Environment and Communications References Committee; Reference (7 speeches)
    I move: That the following matters be referred to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 9 December 2023: The Optus network outage that occurred on 8...
  • Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Reference (5 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Cash, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that the Albanese Labor Government's Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Bill 2023 is complex and requires...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Cbus Super Fund; Order for the Production of Documents (5 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Bragg, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) order for the production of documents no. 350, agreed to by the Senate on 17 October 2023, relating to...
  • Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I move general business notices of motion Nos 381 and 382 together: GENERAL BUSINESS NOTICE OF MOTION NO. 381 That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Reference (4 speeches)
    There's probably not a more pressing issue in rural areas of our country than the takeover of land by industrialised renewable energy investments. These things have invaded our country over the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Regulator Performance) Bill 2023; Second Reading (3 speeches)
    I rise to share with the chamber that the coalition, having supported the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Regulator Performance) Bill 2023 in the House of Representatives, will be...
  • Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Regulator Performance) Bill 2023; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    No amendments have been circulated. Does any senator require a committee stage? If not, I shall call the minister to move the third reading.
  • Statutory Declarations Amendment Bill 2023; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Statutory Declarations Amendment Bill 2023. This bill will make permanent one of the many changes the coalition made in response to COVID-19, which allowed for virtual...
  • Statutory Declarations Amendment Bill 2023; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    No amendments have been circulated. Does any senator require a committee stage? If not, I shall call the minister to move the third reading.
  • Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Amendment (Using New Technologies to Fight Climate Change) Bill 2023; In Committee (26 speeches)
    I simply want to note where we are in the debate. We're now on day 4 of debate, and we've had a number of opportunities to consider detailed questions about the operation of the bill during the...
• Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
  • Tasmania: Salmon Industry (1 speech)
    Tasmanians could be forgiven for having a moment of deja vu, given what they're seeing from the Labor government at this point in time with the threats that are being made to the salmon industry...
  • New England: Health Care (1 speech)
    In 2022, during the election campaign, I did a press conference with Labor's candidate for New England, Laura Hughes, and committed a new Labor government to an urgent care clinic for Tamworth....
  • Gladstone Hospital (1 speech)
    Last week I hosted a public forum in my home of Gladstone to hear from the community about their experiences with the local health system. I heard one thing very clearly: the people of Gladstone...
  • Israel (1 speech)
    Some words made by others are so profound they deserve repeating in this place, and so it is with the courageous statement by Australian Holocaust survivors, which I'll quote from: We, the...
  • Workplace Relations: DP World (1 speech)
    DP World, the Dubai state owned port operator, has announced it will dramatically increase the fees and charges for Australian companies and owner-drivers at ports across Australia. DP World are...
  • Workplace Relations Legislation (1 speech)
    Today Senator Pocock and I succeeded in splitting out four parts of the government's closing the loopholes bill. The crossbench got this bill on the day it was tabled in the lower house. This is...
  • Fordham, Mr Steven (1 speech)
    Heroes come in many shapes and sizes, but not many of us here would envisage a hero who stands about five foot six, looks like Ned Kelly and always wears hi-vis as he wanders around the Hunter...
  • Northern Territory: Bushfires (1 speech)
    I want to reach out to our bushfire services across Australia, but especially in the Northern Territory at the moment, where we've had significant fires burning for quite a long time over the...
  • McBride, Mr David William (1 speech)
    As bombs rain down on Gaza and the world watches yet another brutal, unjust war, could there be a better time for us to reflect upon the importance of whistleblowers? Could there be a worse time...
  • Climate Change Legislation (1 speech)
    Today, I want to give a special shout-out to a group of students in Queensland who are doing a three-week 'study-in' outside the Queensland parliament. They are doing this because they are...
  • Bowel Cancer (1 speech)
    Bowel cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Australia, with the disease claiming over 5,300 lives a year. For too long, this disease has been labelled as a killer of older people, when,...
  • Digital Economy (1 speech)
    As a servant to the many different people who make up our one Queensland community, I draw attention to yesterday's Optus outage. Payment terminals using the Optus network went down, requiring...
  • Work-Life Balance (1 speech)
    I want to draw senators' attention to a pressing issue that affects the lives of countless workers in Australia: unfair rostering. Australian workers are not adequately protected from...
  • Murray-Darling Basin (4 speeches)
    I rise today to share the profound effect that a recent visit to Echuca and along the Murray River and its surrounds had on me. During a small-plane flight over the area, I witnessed firsthand...
  • Workplace Relations: DP World (2 speeches)
    I know my time will be cut short, so I will be quick. I want to follow on from the words of my esteemed colleague Senator Tony Sheldon earlier on and talk about DP World. Just like Qantas, DP...
• Ministry (0 speeches)
  • Temporary Arrangements (1 speech)
    by leave—If the Senate would indulge me, I particularly thank Senator Farrell for leading the government most ably in my absence, and also Senator Watt for representing so many portfolios....
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Cost of Living (13 speeches)
    Welcome back, Senator Wong, but my question is to Senator Farrell, representing the Treasurer. Minister, having had a further 24 hours to prepare, following the question from Senator McGrath...
  • Trade with China, International Relations (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong.
  • Immigration Detention (19 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Yesterday the High Court overturned a 2004 judgement which has underpinned the migration policies of governments of...
  • Australian Public Service (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Government Services, Senator Farrell. Can the minister outline to the Senate how the Albanese government is ending robodebt and...
  • Pensions and Benefits (15 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services, Senator Farrell. Australians are living through a cost-of-living crisis, and the rate rise on Tuesday is rubbing salt...
  • Cost of Living (20 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Farrell. I ask the minister: is it correct that newly released analysis of OECD data indicates that—and I quote from the...
  • South Australia: Floods (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water, Minister Wong. Minister, you will recall the floods of 2022 and 2023, when vast amounts of water travelled...
  • Economy (15 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. The Albanese government has made it clear that its No. 1 priority is addressing inflation and cost-of-living...
  • Medicare (28 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Farrell. Last week the government's bulk-billing measure came into effect as bulk-billing rates have...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (9 speeches)
    I seek leave to move a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in the terms circulated in the chamber. Leave not granted. At the request of Senator Waters, I move: That so much of the standing...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Answers to Questions (6 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today. In particular, I rise to take note of the answer to the first...
  • Immigration Detention (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs (Senator Watt) to a question without notice...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Electoral Matters Joint Committee; Government Response to Report (5 speeches)
    I present the government response to the interim report of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters on its inquiry into the conduct of the 2022 federal election, and I seek leave to have...
• 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:
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Community Affairs Legislation Committee, Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the chairs of the respective committees, I present reports on legislation from the Community Affairs Legislation Committee on the provisions of the...
  • Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee; Delegated Legislation Monitor (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I present the Delegated legislation monitor No. 13 of 2023 and move: That the Senate take note...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority; Consideration (1 speech)
    GREEN () (): The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority annual report 2022-23 is a fantastic report. I'll get to the report in one second, but I want to give some context on the Great Barrier...
• Petitions (0 speeches)
  • Middle East (1 speech)
    by leave—I table a non-conforming petition from over 700 members of the Jewish community calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (1 speech)
    I wish to briefly—and I emphasise that, because we seem to want to move on—take note of the Export Control Act report on livestock mortalities. This is a regular reporting requirement...
  • Australian Institute of Family Studies, Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission (1 speech)
    I rise to take note of the annual report of the Australian Institute of Family Studies and the first annual report of the Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commission. Both the Australian...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Australia's Disaster Resilience Select Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I rise to speak on the interim report of the Select Committee on Australia's Disaster Resilience. Since the select committee was established in November last year, we have had the privilege of...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Currency; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I table a document relating to the order for the production of documents concerning crypto asset secondary service providers.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Juvenile Detention (5 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Cox, move: That the Senate— (a) commends the Australian Capital Territory Government's commitment to raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14; (b)...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Medicare (1 speech)
    Our health system is critical. We should be able to rely on seeing a doctor, being able to get an appointment and, for those who cannot afford to pay, being bulk-billed for that appointment. Yet...
  • Human Trafficking (1 speech)
    Today, I rise to speak on a very significant global milestone in the fight against orphanage trafficking. Sometimes in this place, success can take many years, but, ultimately, it is worth the...
  • Juvenile Detention (1 speech)
    Children right across this country are being locked up in prisons and detention centres, despite all the evidence that shows that children's brains aren't in fact fully developed to form any type...
  • Employment, Ukraine (1 speech)
    One of my jobs before I entered the Senate was as a training coordinator for the Australian Services Union. I also sat as a branch representative on two industry skills councils. These were a...
  • Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Reserve Bank of Australia (1 speech)
    Australia is very, very well-served by its parliamentary democracy and those independent regulatory institutions that support the work of the parliament. Conscious of this, I rise this evening to...