Senator O’Brien to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following matter be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by the last sitting day in March 2007:

The administration of quarantine by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and its ministers, with particular reference to:

(a)

the effectiveness of current administrative arrangements for managing quarantine, including whether the community is best served by maintaining the division between Biosecurity Australia and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS);

(b)

whether combining Biosecurity Australia and the AQIS would provide a better structure for delivering the quarantine outcomes that Australia requires;

(c)

the legislative or regulatory underpinning of the import risk assessment process, including the status of the current AQIS Import Risk Analysis Process Handbook;

(d)

the methodology used by Biosecurity Australia for determining appropriate levels of protection; and

(e)

the role, if any, of ministers in making final decisions on import risk assessments; and

(f)

any related matters.

Senator Wortley to move on the next day of sitting:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (Senator Vanstone), no later than 10 am on 4 September 2006, the report on T&R Pastoral and its employment of workers on subclass 457 visas prepared by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, which included an investigation, in the form of a labour survey carried out by the Meat Industry Training Advisory Council, and any other related documentation.

Senator Bob Brown to move on Monday, 4 September 2006:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

the high rates of violence against journalists in Indonesia for the period August 2005 to August 2006,

(ii)

that the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia recorded 64 cases of violence against the press and journalists, occurring from the provinces of Aceh to Papua, with the most dangerous places for the press being Jakarta with 13 cases of violence, and East Java and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, both with 8 cases of violence, and

(iii)

that AJI identifies the perpetrators as mobs and thugs, government figures, including district heads, regents, governors, ministerial staff, etc, and the police; and

(b)

calls on the Australian Government to urge the Indonesian Government to respect the journalistic profession and ensure international standards for journalistic security as stipulated by the 1945 Constitution and the Indonesian Law No. 40/1999 on the press.

Senator Stephens to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate condemns the Howard Government for its failure to keep inflationary pressures in the Australian economy under control, including:

(a)

appropriately addressing the skilled labour shortage;

(b)

recognising that capacity constraints are choking the economy;

(c)

adequately addressing the rising price of petrol; and

(d)

the growing disparity between executive salaries and wages of working Australians.

Senator Siewert to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

that on 15 August 2006 the Minister for Transport and Regional Services approved a major brickworks on Commonwealth land at Perth Airport,

(ii)

that non-aeronautical development at Perth Airport is currently exempt from state and local planning laws,

(iii)

that there is evidence that the Swan Valley air-shed already contains concentrations of acid gases from existing brickworks which are impacting on the health of surrounding residents,

(iv)

the concern of local councils, businesses, residents and the State Government about the adverse effects of this development on their communities and health, and

(v)

that the Environmental Assessment Report tendered by the Department of the Environment and Heritage identifies serious deficiencies in the BGC (Australia) Pty Ltd proposal; and

(b)

calls for:

(i)

a comprehensive assessment of airborne pollution in the Swan Valley air-shed and the impact of this pollution on the health of local residents prior to any commencement of work on the brickworks, and

(ii)

the proponent to be required to address the serious deficiencies in the proposal, as identified by the Department of the Environment and Heritage.

Senators Moore and Allison to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes that:

(i)

on 7 September 2001, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared that the International Day of Peace should be observed annually on the fixed date of 21 September, as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, and

(ii)

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has repeatedly urged member states of the UN to support the observance of a global ceasefire on the day, arguing that a global ceasefire would:

(a)

provide a pause for reflection by the international community on the threats and challenges faced,

(b)

offer mediators a building block towards a wider truce, as has been seen in nations such as Ghana and Zambia,

(c)

encourage those involved in violent conflict to reconsider the wisdom of further violence,

(d)

provide relief workers with a safe interlude for the provision of vital services and the supply of essential goods,

(e)

allow freedom of movement and information, which is particularly beneficial to refugees and internally-displaced persons, and

(f)

relieve those embroiled in violent conflict from the daily burden of fear for their own safety and the safety of others;

(b)

supports the Australian organisations that intend to hold vigils, concerts and walks on 21 September 2006, in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Darwin and Brisbane; and

(c)

calls on the Government to actively support the principles of the International Day of Peace on 21 September.

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

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

the comments by the Attorney-General (Mr Ruddock) on 14 August 2006 that: ‘[David Hicks’ repatriation] should happen as quickly as possible’ and ‘Were that not to be the case, we would be seeking his return in the same way we did with Mamdouh Habib... I would never benchmark myself but I do note that the United States…wants to have the matters that Congress has to deal with resolved before it rises for the mid-term election, which suggests November’, and

(ii)

that South Australian David Hicks has now spent more than four and a half years in detention in Guantanamo Bay; and

(b)

calls on the Federal Government to lobby for David Hicks’ immediate repatriation.