Senator Marshall to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following matter be referred to the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee for inquiry and report by 20 March 2009:

Developing Australia’s capacity in the area of climate change, with particular reference to:

(a)   the ability of universities and other research and training institutions to meet current and future demand for climate change professionals; and

(b)   measures to assist understanding of climate change in the Asia-Pacific region, including provision of training and skills assistance.

Senator Crossin to move on the next day of sitting:

That the following matter be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee for inquiry and report:

The effectiveness of the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984 in eliminating discrimination and promoting gender equality, with particular reference to:

(a)   the scope of the Act, and the manner in which key terms and concepts are defined;

(b)   the extent to which the Act implements the non-discrimination obligations of the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the International Labour Organization or under other international instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;

(c)   the powers and capacity of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, particularly in initiating inquiries into systemic discrimination and to monitor progress towards equality;

(d)   consistency of the Act with other Commonwealth and state and territory discrimination legislation, including options for harmonisation;

(e)   significant judicial rulings on the interpretation of the Act and their consequences;

(f)   impact on state and territory laws;

(g)   preventing discrimination, including by educative means;

(h)   providing effective remedies, including the effectiveness, efficiency and fairness of the complaints process;

(i)   addressing discrimination on the ground of family responsibilities;

(j)   impact on the economy, productivity and employment (including recruitment processes);

(k)   sexual harassment;

(l)   effectiveness in addressing intersecting forms of discrimination;

(m)   any procedural or technical issues;

(n)   scope of existing exemptions; and

(o)   other matters relating and incidental to the Act.

Senator Allison to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes that:

(i)   Australia is the only country, apart from the United States of America, to have introduced a global gag rule in its aid program through the AusAID family planning guidelines that restricts contraception options and prohibits the use of aid funding for anything related to abortion, such as training of medical personnel in safe abortion, or providing information or warnings about unsafe abortion,

(ii)   in most countries in receipt of Australia’s aid, abortion has no legal restriction or is restricted only in certain circumstances,

(iii)   68 000 women worldwide die every year from unsafe abortions, nearly all of them in developing countries,

(iv)   approximately a quarter of women who have undergone an unsafe abortion will be hospitalised due to serious complications such as haemorrhage, infection or poisoning,

(v)   Australia’s family planning guidelines contribute to these hospitalisations and deaths and are at odds with the international Conference on Population and Development 1994 (ICPD) which states ‘in circumstances where abortion is not against the law, health systems should train and equip health service providers and should take other measures to ensure that such abortion is safe and accessible’ and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979 (CEDAW),

(vi)   the family planning guidelines have coincided with and are partly responsible for a massive decline in Australian funding for family planning in a time when, according to the United Nations (UN) Fund for Population Activities, the unmet need has grown from 10 per cent to 60 per cent, and

(vi)   Australia is a signatory to both the ICPD and CEDAW as well as to the Millennium Development Goals which includes the goal of reducing maternal mortality by two-thirds which the UN acknowledges cannot be achieved without universal access to family planning and reproductive health care; and

(b)   urges the Government to now withdraw these repressive family planning guidelines and, in line with other countries, adopt World Health Organization and ICPD principles and practices to guide their reproductive health aid programs.

Senator Siewert to move on the next day of sitting:

That—

(a)   the Senate notes the significant natural resource management and conservation challenges faced by Australia; and

(b)   the following matters be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee for inquiry and report by 27 November 2008:

(i)   the lessons learned from the successes and failures of three decades of Commonwealth investment in resource management including Landcare, the National Heritage Trust, the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality, and other national programs,

(ii)   how we can best build on the knowledge and experience gained from these programs to capitalise on existing networks and projects, and maintain commitment and momentum among land-holders,

(iii)   the overall costs and benefits of a regional approach to planning and management of Australia’s catchments, coasts and other natural resources,

(iv)   the need for a long-term strategic approach to natural resource management (NRM) at the national level,

(v)   the capacity of regional NRM groups, catchment management organisations and other national conservation networks to engage land managers, resource users and the wider community to deliver on-the-ground NRM outcomes as a result of the recent changes to funding arrangements under the new Caring for our Country program, and

(vi)   the extent to which the Caring for our Country program represents a comprehensive approach to meeting Australia’s future NRM needs.

Senator Siewert to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)   expresses concern for the plight of two Japanese Greenpeace activists who are to be held another 10 days without charge by Japanese police for their role in exposing the embezzlement of thousands of dollars worth of whale meat from the Japanese Government-sponsored whaling program;

(b)   notes that no charges have been laid relating to the embezzlement of whale meat, and that the Japanese Public Prosecutor has subsequently dropped his investigation into the involvement of the crew and whaling officials in this illegal trade;

(c)   expresses concern that the response of Japanese authorities in sending 40 police officers to raid the Greenpeace offices and seize all computers and financial records is a disproportionate reaction to this matter, which raises concerns that this is a politically-motivated action designed to shut down the successful Greenpeace public education campaign within Japan at the time of the International Whaling Commission meeting; and

(d)   calls on the Australian Government to press the Japanese Government to take action on the alleged embezzlement of whale meat, and to either charge the Greenpeace activists with an offence or release them.

Senator Stephens to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes that:

(i)   Australia will host the visit of Pope Benedict XVI for World Youth Day 2008 from 15 July to 20 July 2008, in Sydney,

(ii)   the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, with the support of the New South Wales and Australian Governments were successful in bidding for the World Youth Day 2008 celebrations and all have worked tirelessly to ensure the event showcases Australia to the world,

(iii)   more than 225 000 young pilgrims are expected to take part in the World Youth Day celebrations, including more than 125 000 overseas pilgrims and up to 500 000 are expected to participate in the final mass celebrated by the Holy Father at Randwick Racecourse on 20 July 2008,

(iv)   40 000 Sydneysiders have opened up their homes as home stay accommodation for pilgrims, and

(v)   8 000 volunteers will assist in ensuring that this celebration of spirituality and youth is a safe and successful event;

(b)   welcomes the Holy Father for his first visit as Head of State to Australia;

(c)   congratulates him on his commitment to interfaith dialogue whilst in Australia: and

(d)   wishes all involved in World Youth Day 2008 a successful and uplifting week of celebration.

Senator Bob Brown to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)   notes the International Whaling Commission 2008 State of the Cetacean Environment report, which lists the impact of climate change and ocean pollution on the world’s whales, dolphins and porpoises;

(b)   notes, with concern, that the coastal areas along Australia’s seaboard, which are ‘dead zones’ due to deoxygenation, are expanding; and

(c)   calls on the Government to report to the Senate by 1 October 2008 on this growing threat and the Government’s comprehensive strategy to reverse it.

Senator Bob Brown to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate asks the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr Smith) to assess the memorandum of understanding between the Government of Timor Leste and GT Leste Biotech for a 100000 hectare sugar plantation and ethanol plant to ensure Australian funds are not involved if there are adverse social or environmental consequences.