Senator Chris Evans to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate:

(a)   condemns the actions of Senator Heffernan in gatecrashing the press conference of a delegation of Indigenous leaders on 7 August 2007;

(b)   notes that this is now the third time Senator Heffernan has committed such an offence;

(c)   calls on the Prime Minister (Mr Howard) to discipline his close friend, Senator Heffernan, and require him to observe the normal courtesies extended to visiting delegations and fellow parliamentarians; and

(d)   believes that retaliation for Senator Heffernan’s actions would not add to the dignity of the parliamentary process.

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

That the Senate:

(a)   notes that:

(i)   the final report of Australian University Student Finances 2006, published by Universities Australia, includes the following indicators:

(a)   12.8 per cent of students regularly go without food or other necessities due to lack of funds,

(b)   14.5 per cent of full-time undergraduate students who are also working during semester are working more than 20 hours per week,

(c)   40.2 per cent of full-time undergraduate students believe work is having a significant adverse effect on their studies, and

(d)   16.4 per cent of full-time postgraduate coursework students have their applications for income support rejected, and

(ii)   the Government has yet to respond to the Employment, Workplace Relations and Education References Committee report, Student income support, tabled on 23 June 2005;

(b)   acknowledges that:

(i)   university graduates are vital for Australia’s competitiveness, and

(ii)   significant financial stress is not conducive to a good education outcome;

(c)   welcomes the student income support measures contained in the 2007-08 Budget; and

(d)   urges the Government to consider and respond to both the Senate committee report and the recommendations for alleviating student financial stress put forward by Universities Australia, formerly the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, on 15 March 2007.

Senators Barnett and Chapman to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)   acknowledges that 2007 is the half-time progress mark in the global effort to meet the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to halve extreme global poverty by 2015;

(b)   notes that, since the Millennium Declaration was signed by the Prime Minister (Mr Howard) and other world leaders, there has been progress with:

(i)   an additional 34 million children worldwide afforded the opportunity to enter and complete primary school,

(ii)   more people than ever receiving treatment for HIV, and

(iii)   30 of the world’s poorest countries receiving debt cancellation or some reduction;

(c)   affirms the positive contribution that Australia has already made, by:

(i)   providing up-front, Australia’s 10-year contribution to multilateral debt relief for poor nations,

(ii)   increasing Australia’s aid budget to approximately $4 billion by 2010,

(iii)   strengthening Australia’s commitment to coordinate aid with other donors and better aligning Australia’s aid with partner countries own priorities and processes, and

(iv)   renewing the focus of Australia’s aid on education and health;

(d)   notes that, despite significant progress, some of the Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved unless new action is taken and more resources are mobilised;

(e)   affirms the work of the ‘Make Poverty History’ and ‘Micah Challenge’ campaigns in raising public awareness and generating new support for international poverty reduction efforts; and

(f)   calls on Australia to continue to play its part in supporting the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals through:

(i)   a generous, effective and poverty-focused aid program,

(ii)   a commitment to reducing the unsustainable debt burden of heavily-indebted poor countries,

(iii)   the promotion of good governance in institutions and communities of developing countries,

(iv)   advocacy for fairer international trade rules, and

(v)   addressing the development challenges posed by climate change.

Senator Ronaldson to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Economics Committee be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Thursday, 9 August 2007, from 4.30 pm to 6 pm, to take evidence for the committee’s inquiry into private equity markets.

Senator Nettle to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes that:

(i)   the Wallarah 2 Coal Project planned by Kores Australia, which is owned by the Government of South Korea, proposes to mine coal in the Wyong area of New South Wales using the longwall mining technique,

(ii)   the proposed site of the mine in the Dooralong and Yarramalong valleys includes threatened flora and fauna as well as rivers that make up 50 per cent of the Central Coast water catchment and is close to residential areas,

(iii)   longwall coal mining is wrecking rivers in New South Wales by cracking riverbeds, disturbing aquifers, destabilising sandstone cliff formations, often resulting in cliff collapse and causing serious pollution,

(iv)   residents in nearby areas are concerned about the proposed mine’s likely noise pollution, the health effects of coal dust and effect on the local environment, and

(v)   burning the coal extracted by the mine will contribute to global warming; and

(b)   calls on the Government to reject the proposed coal mine under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Senator Lundy to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes:

(i)   the stated opposition of Federal Labor leader Mr Kevin Rudd to forced local government amalgamations in Queensland,

(ii)   Mr Rudd’s stated view that increased cooperation, including common purchase practices, can achieve improved efficiencies at a local government level, and

(iii)   Mr Rudd’s stated support on 17 May 2007 for local ballots ahead of any proposed non-voluntary local government amalgamation; and

(b)   welcomes the support of the Prime Minister (Mr Howard) for Mr Rudd’s position on local democracy.