Senator Kirk to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Joint Standing Committee on Migration be authorised to hold private meetings otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the sittings of the Senate.

Senator Lundy to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following matter be referred to the Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee for inquiry and report by the first sitting day in March 2007:

Women in sport and recreation in Australia, with particular reference to:

(a)

the health benefits of women participating in sport and recreation activities;

(b)

the accessibility for women of all ages to participate in organised sport, fitness and recreation activities, with additional reference to state and federal programs, including:

(i)

the number of women actively participating in organised sport, fitness and recreation activities,

(ii)

constraints, including strategies to overcome the constraints that may prevent participation in current structures,

(iii)

the effectiveness of current state and federal grant programs that encourage women to participate,

(iv)

the retention and attrition trends of grassroots participation, including comparisons with male athletes at a similar level,

(v)

the remuneration, recruitment, retention and attrition of elite female athletes, including comparisons with elite male athletes,

(vi)

retention of athletes competing in senior and open age state and national sporting competitions, with possible strategies to retain female competitors in elite and sub-elite competition,

(vii)

opportunities and barriers for national team members and competitors in international competition, and

(viii)

the financial status, success and viability of women’s national league competitions, including strategies to improve these factors;

(c)

the portrayal of women’s sport in the media, including:

(i)

the role of the government to regulate and review the coverage of women’s sport in the media (print, radio and electronic),

(ii)

the influence of pay television on the coverage of women in sport,

(iii)

the promotion and publicity of women’s national league competitions,

(iv)

the financial status and success of women’s national leagues, and

(v)

strategies to improve the amount and quality of media coverage for women’s sport; and

(d)

women in leadership roles in sport, including:

(i)

the number and proportion of women in coaching, administrative and officiating roles,

(ii)

the issues associated with women in leadership roles in both elite and grassroots activities,

(iii)

trends and issues for women in organisational leadership roles, and

(iv)

strategies to improve the numbers of women in coaching, administration and technical roles.

Senator Siewert to move on Thursday, 30 March 2006:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

that the Australian Government has not as yet stated a public policy position on genetic use restriction technologies (GURTs), and has not yet undertaken a process of public consultation on GURTs, and

(ii)

the recommendation of a working group at the United Nations meeting on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Brazil on Friday, 24 March 2006, to uphold the existing de facto moratorium on GURTs, which is expected to be confirmed by the CBD’s plenary session in the week beginning 27 March 2006; and

(b)

calls on the Australian Government to:

(i)

cease all Australian Government advocacy of measures that would undermine the CBD’s moratorium on GURTs,

(ii)

place a ban on research, development and use of GURTs in Australia, and

(iii)

instruct all official delegates to future CBD meetings to advocate a complete and permanent international ban on GURTs.

Senator Conroy to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following matter be referred to the Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee for inquiry and report by 8 August 2006:

The impact of proposed changes to cross media laws outlined in the Government’s media reform options paper, with particular reference to:

(a)

the likely effect of the changes on media diversity in urban and regional media markets;

(b)

whether the safeguards proposed by the Government are adequate to prevent an excessive concentration of media ownership;

(c)

whether editorial separation, or a so-called two-out-of-three rule, would effectively protect media diversity; and

(d)

the impact of the proposed changes on the advertising market, particularly for small business.

Senator Minchin to move on the next day of sitting:

That, for the purposes of subsection 7(3) of the Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act 1997, the Senate approves the transfer or disposal of the Commonwealth shares in the Snowy Hydro Company (incorporated under the name Snowy Hydro Limited) that will occur as a result of the Commonwealth participating in the Initial Public Offer process announced by the New South Wales Government on 16 December 2005.

Senator Coonan to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983, and for related purposes. Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment Bill 2006.

Senator Vanstone to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to impose sanctions on persons who are connected with work by unlawful non-citizens or work in breach of visa conditions, and for related purposes. Migration Amendment (Employer Sanctions) Bill 2006.

Senator Santoro to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992, and for related purposes. National Health and Medical Research Council Amendment Bill 2006.

Senator Minchin to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to superannuation, and for related purposes. Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Trustee Board and Other Measures) Bill 2006.

Senators Coonan and Kemp to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes the sad passing of Kevin Charles (Pro) Hart, MBE on Tuesday, 28 March 2006;

(b)

extends its sympathy to Mr Hart’s wife Raylee, his children John, Kym, Marie, Julie and David and to his extended family;

(c)

recognises how Pro Hart used his well-documented ‘larrikin’ persona and iconic art to document how Australians see themselves and their history through rural and outback images and subjects; and

(d)

records the significant contribution Pro Hart made to Australia and Australia’s cultural identity through many artistic mediums including painting and sculpture over more than 40 years.

Senator Nettle to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

that Thursday, 30 March 2006 is Palestinian Land Day, and

(ii)

the statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mr Tony Blair, to the Australian Parliament on 27 March 2006 that ‘once the Israeli election has taken place, we must redouble our efforts to find a way to the only solution that works—a secure state of Israel and a viable, independent Palestinian state’; and

(b)

calls on the Government to:

(i)

support the formation of a ‘viable, independent Palestinian state’, and

(ii)

encourage Israel to reach a comprehensive peace agreement with Palestine based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 242.

Senator Stott Despoja to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

acknowledges:

(i)

the provision of Temporary Protection Visas by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to the West Papuan asylum seekers who arrived in Australia in January 2006, and

(ii)

the need for an end to the ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua;

(b)

recognises:

(i)

that a commitment to the formal process of special autonomy for the province of Papua, that began in 2001, is integral to the peaceful solution of the conflict in Papua,

(ii)

the partitioning of Papua into the provinces of West Irian Jaya and Papua is unconstitutional and in contravention of article 76 of the special autonomy law 2001, and that there is no legal basis for the province of West Irian Jaya, and

(iii)

that the partitioning of Papua has been strongly rejected by the Papuan population, the churches, civil society and the parliament; and

(c)

calls on the Australian Government to support and encourage President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to continue to push forward his reform agenda for Papua as he has done in Aceh, and implement special autonomy for Papua.