Senate debates

Thursday, 10 October 2024

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Meeting (1 speech)
    If there is no objection, the meetings are authorised.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Building and Construction Industry (Restoring Integrity and Reducing Building Costs) Bill 2024 (No. 2); Second Reading (8 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Building and Construction Industry (Restoring Integrity and Reducing Building Costs) Bill 2024 (No.2) and I congratulate Senator Cash for introducing this private senator's...
  • Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No. 1) Bill 2024; Second Reading (23 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No.1) Bill 2024. The omnibus bill makes a range of changes to our criminal law investigation and enforcement apparatus. It...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (10 speeches)
    I present the 12th report of 2024 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: That general business notice of motion No. 530 be considered during general business today. Question agreed to.
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    Does any senator wish for the question to be put on any of those notifications? If not, we will proceed.
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Sheldon for today, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; Reference (2 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Nampijinpa Price, I move: That the following matters be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 28 March 2025:...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (33 speeches)
    I seek leave to amend government business notice of motion No. 1. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That on Thursday, 10 October 2024: (a) the questions on all remaining stages of the...
  • Days and Hours of Meeting (1 speech)
    I move: That the days of meeting of the Senate for 2025 be as follows: Autumn sittings: Tuesday, 4 February to Thursday, 6 February Monday, 10 February to Thursday, 13 February Budget sittings:...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Public Works Joint Committee; Reference (1 speech)
    I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Department of Defence; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, by no later than 5 pm on 18 October 2024: (a) milestone and/or progress reports relating to the...
  • Department of Social Services; Order for the Production of Documents (2 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Liddle, I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services, by no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, 16 October 2024: (a)...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No. 1) Bill 2024; Second Reading (4 speeches)
    The question is that the second reading amendment moved by Senator Shoebridge be agreed to.
  • Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No. 1) Bill 2024; In Committee (38 speeches)
    by leave—I move amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 2979 together: (1) Clause 2, page 2 (at the end of the table), add: (2) Page 90 (after line 11), at the end of the Bill, add: Schedule 8...
  • Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Expansion) Bill 2024; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bill read a first time.
  • Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Expansion) Bill 2024; Third Reading (4 speeches)
    The question now is that the remaining stages of the bill be agreed to and the bill be now passed.
  • Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2024, Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023; Second Reading (46 speeches)
    I will now deal with the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill and a related bill. I have got a lot of senators on their feet for a guillotine.
  • Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bill 2024, Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety (Transitional Provisions) Bill 2023; Third Reading (4 speeches)
    I'm about to put the final question but, before I do, I want to check if any other senator is wanting to deal with anything. Senator Pocock, you just got there in time.
• Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
  • National Security (7 speeches)
    Yesterday we read disturbing media reports which revealed that a Palestinian man, Mr Fayez Elhasani, was granted a visa to come to Australia despite once hosting political members of the...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Housing (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. Recent research from Finder reveals that 42 per cent of Australian mortgage holders were struggling to meet their...
  • Grocery Prices (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. We've heard this week about how the government has helped Australians with tax cuts and other cost-of-living relief...
  • Deputy Prime Minister (21 speeches)
    My question is to the Special Minister of State, Senator Farrell. I refer the minister to media reporting regarding the office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Can the minister confirm that the...
  • Pensions and Benefits (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services. The robodebt tragedy was only possible because income support recipients were, and still are, trapped on poverty...
  • Broadband (21 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Senator McAllister. The NBN is a piece of critical infrastructure designed to provide reliable and affordable internet...
  • Tasmania: Health Care (8 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Gallagher, representing the minister for health. Tasmania spent $182 million on locum doctors and agency nurses in 2023-24, which is triple the cost from three years...
  • Small Business (27 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Earlier this week, COSBOA and CommBank released a report saying small businesses are living through 'the toughest...
  • Energy (8 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator McAllister. Minister Bowen recently stated that electricity prices fell 17.9 per cent in the 12...
  • Australian Public Service (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. The Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act, governing the financial resource management of government departments,...
  • Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. It was reported today that the government's hand-picked administrator of the CFMEU, Mark Irving, has continued to...
• Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • Deputy Prime Minister (1 speech)
    I said I would come back to Senator Birmingham on his questions. In my answer, which addressed two questions at once, I correctly indicated that the government's staffing committee has not...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Parliamentary Joint Committee on Parliamentary Standards; Appointment (2 speeches)
    Senators, the chamber has received a message and I understand it suits the chamber for me to report on that message now. A message has been received from the House of Representatives forwarding a...
• Questions to the President (0 speeches)
  • Central Land Council (2 speeches)
    President, I seek leave to raise a question with you. Leave granted. I would like to ask you, President, if you have had the opportunity to review the Hansard regarding the Assistant Minister for...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Housing, Small Business, Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (5 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Gallagher) and the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Wong) to questions without notice asked by...
  • Pensions and Benefits (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services to a question without notice I asked today relating to income support. For a...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Intelligence and Security Joint Committee; Report (2 speeches)
    I present the government response to the report of the Parliament Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Declared Areas) Bill 2024.
  • Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) Select Committee; Report (4 speeches)
    I present the interim report of the Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence, and I move: That the Senate take note of the report. I seek leave to continue my remarks later. Leave granted.
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
    At the request of the chair of the committee, I present reports on references initiated by the Selection of Bills Committee.
  • Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Report (2 speeches)
    At the request of the chair of the committee, I present the committee's report on the Universities Accord (National Student Ombudsman) Bill 2024 [Provisions].
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Murdoch Media Inquiry Bill 2023; Report from Committee (2 speeches)
    At the request of the chair of the committee, I present the report of the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee on the Murdoch Media Inquiry Bill 2023, together with accompanying...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee; Additional Information (1 speech)
    I present additional information received by the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee relating into its inquiry of the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support...
  • Migration Joint Committee; Report (2 speeches)
    On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration I present the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration titled Migration, pathway to nation building.
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (1 speech)
    When the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability was first announced, I read into the Hansard the names of 35 disabled people. These people had...
  • Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide; Consideration (3 speeches)
    I rise to speak to the final report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. For over 100 years, the RSL has been charged with caring for our veterans when they have left the...
  • Housing Australia Future Fund; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the document. On 16 September, the housing minister, Clare O'Neil, released a statement in conjunction with the Prime Minister outlining that the government...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Expansion) Bill 2024; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    I seek leave to table my second reading speech on the Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Expansion) Bill 2024.
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; Order for the Production of Documents (3 speeches)
    The document I was taking note of is the McPhillamys gold mine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection (Kings Plains) Declaration 2024. It was an order the Senate agreed to some...
  • Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Attorney-General's Department, Department of the Treasury, Department of Home Affairs, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of Health and Aged Care; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I table documents relating to orders for the production of documents concerning Tasmanian devils on Robbins Island, deaths in custody, student visas, harmful gambling and the Private Hospital...
  • Department of Defence (2 speeches)
    I table the 2023-24 annual reports of the Judge Advocate General and the Director of Military Prosecutions. I move: That the Senate take note of the documents. Today the government is tabling the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions and Other Measures) Bill 2023, Superannuation (Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions) Imposition 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.
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions and Other Measures) Bill 2023, Superannuation (Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions) Imposition Bill 2023; Second Reading (1 speech)
    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— TREASURY LAWS...
  • Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024, Universities Accord (National Student Ombudsman) Bill 2024; 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.
  • Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024, Universities Accord (National Student Ombudsman) Bill 2024; Second Reading (1 speech)
    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— ANTI-MONEY...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Economics Legislation Committee, Economics References Committee, Parliamentary Standards Joint Select Committee, Privileges Committee; Membership (2 speeches)
    Order! The President has received letters requesting changes in the membership of various committees.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Economy (21 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate notes Labor's high taxing, high spending 2024-25 Budget will make the lives of Australians harder by putting further pressure on inflation and keeping interest rates...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Youth Voice in Parliament Week (1 speech)
    October is proving to be a very royal month for Australia. Not only are we looking forward to the much-anticipated visit by Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla; we also welcome His...
  • Youth Voice in Parliament Week (1 speech)
    Like my colleague across the chamber, I am deeply honoured to be given the opportunity to deliver speeches today written by young Queenslanders as part of the Raise Our Voice campaign. The first...
  • Transgender Athletes in Sport (1 speech)
    Women and girls should be entitled to compete in sport in female single-sex categories. That is the position that I have held and advocated for for many years. It's a position which the vast...
  • Tasmania: Mental Health (1 speech)
    It's World Mental Health Day. Today is about raising awareness of mental health issues. We're all good at talking about mental health, but what are we actually doing to improve Australia's mental...
  • Economy (1 speech)
    This morning I was pleased to release the People First policies in regard to capital markets. Earlier this week I also spoke about policies in regard to monetary policy. But I must say that it's...
  • Returned and Services League of Australia: New South Wales Branch (2 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the New South Wales RSL. I'm told that Mick Bainbridge and Paul James have been involved in providing legal support to a claimant who was encouraged to take legal action...