The following orders of the day relating to committee reports and government responses were considered:

Corporations and Financial Services—Joint Statutory Committee—Report—The structure and operation of the superannuation industry. Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Chapman) to take note of report agreed to.

Economics—Standing Committee—Report—Petrol prices in Australia—Government response. Motion of Senator Sherry to take note of document agreed to.

Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport—Standing Committee—Report—Administration of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Biosecurity Australia and AQIS in relation to the final import risk analysis report for apples from New Zealand. Motion of Senator Nash to take note of report agreed to.

Electoral Matters—Joint Standing Committee—Report—Civics and electoral education. Motion of Senator Fierravanti-Wells to take note of report agreed to.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—Joint Standing Committee—Report—Review of Australia-New Zealand trade and investment relations—Government response. Motion of Senator Webber to take note of document agreed to.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—Joint Standing Committee—Report—Expanding Australia’s trade and investment relations with North Africa—Government response. Motion of Senator Webber to take note of document agreed to.

Legal and Constitutional References Committee—Report—Administration and operation of the Migration Act 1958Government response. Motion of Senator Bartlett to take note of document called on. Debate adjourned till the next day of sitting, Senator Bartlett in continuation.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee—Report—Mr Chen Yonglin’s request for political asylum—Government response. Motion of Senator Bartlett to take note of document agreed to.

Community Affairs—Standing Committee—Report—Beyond petrol sniffing: Renewing hope for Indigenous communities—Additional information. Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Humphries) to take note of document called. On the motion of Senator Bartlett the debate was adjourned till the next day of sitting.

Treaties—Joint Standing Committee—Report 83—Treaties tabled on 20 June (2), 17 October, 28 November (2) 2006 and CO sequestration in sub-seabed formations. Motion of Senator Wortley to take note of report agreed to.

National Capital and External Territories—Joint Standing Committee—Report—Antarctica: Australia’s pristine frontier: The adequacy of funding for Australia’s Antarctic Program—Government response. Motion of Senator Campbell to take note of document called on. On the motion of Senator McGauran the debate was adjourned till the next day of sitting.

Finance and Public Administration—Standing Committee—Report—Trans-par-ency and accountability of Commonwealth public funding and expenditure. Motion of Senator Nash to take note of report agreed to.

Finance and Public Administration—Standing Committee—Report—Depart-men-tal and agency contracts: Second report on the operation of the Senate order for the production of lists of departmental and agency contracts (2003-06). Motion of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing (Senator Mason) to take note of report agreed to.

Legal and Constitutional Affairs—Standing Committee—Report—Unfinished business: Indigenous stolen wages. Motion of Senator Payne to take note of report called on. Debate adjourned till the next day of sitting, Senator Bartlett in continuation.