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

Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee—Report—Australia’s judicial system and the role of judges. Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Barnett) to take note of report agreed to.

Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee—Report—Access to justice. Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Barnett) to take note of report agreed to.

Finance and Public Administration References Committee—Report—Independent arbitration of public interest immunity claims. Motion of Senator Bernardi to take note of report agreed to.

Agricultural and Related Industries—Select Committee—Second and third interim reports—Food production in Australia. Motion of Senator O’Brien to take note of reports agreed to.

Finance and Public Administration References Committee—Report—Relationship between the Central Land Council and Centrecorp Aboriginal Investment Corporation Pty Ltd. Motion of Senator Parry to take note of report agreed to.

Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee—Report—DEEWR tender process to award employment services contracts—Government response (see entry no. 34, 2 February 2010). Motion to take note of document moved, by leave, by Senator Collins and agreed to.

Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities—Select Committee—Third report. Motion of Senator Parry to take note of report called on. Debate adjourned till the next day of sitting, Senator Parry in continuation.

National Broadband Network—Select Committee—Third report. Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Fisher) to take note of report called on. On the motion of Senator Parry the debate was adjourned till the next day of sitting.

Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee—Report—Welfare of international students. Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Humphries) to take note of report agreed to.

Privileges—Standing Committee—142nd report—Matters arising from the Economics Legislation Committee hearing on 19 June 2009 (referred 24 June and 12 August 2009). Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Brandis)—That:

(a)

in respect of the matters referred on 24 June 2009:

(i)

the Senate endorse the committee’s findings in paragraph 6.5 and the conclusion in paragraph 6.6 of the report,

(ii)

the President of the Senate resume consideration of an appropriate response to flagrant breaches of the Presiding Officers’ guidelines on filming and photography in Parliament House by members of the media on 19 June 2009, noting the committee’s suggestion in paragraph 3.23 of the report, and

(iii)

the Chairs’ Committee established under standing order 25(10) consider model practices for handling the media at committee hearings, and the inclusion of additional information about witnesses’ rights under the broadcasting resolutions in the standard information provided to all witnesses, as discussed in paragraphs 3.14 and 3.15 of the report; and

(b)

in respect of the matters referred on 12 August 2009, the Senate endorse the committee’s findings in paragraph 6.8 and the conclusion in paragraph 6.9 of the report—called on. On the motion of Senator Parry the debate was adjourned till the next day of sitting.

Corporations and Financial Services—Joint Statutory Committee—Report—Inquiry into financial products and services in Australia. Motion of Senator Parry to take note of report agreed to.

Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee—Report—Provision of childcare.Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Humphries) to take note of report agreed to.

Privileges—Standing Committee—141st report—Possible interference with, or imposition of a penalty on, a witness before the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee. Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Brandis)—That:

(a)

the Senate endorse the finding in paragraph 1.25 of the report, that no contempt should be found in respect of the Chief Executive Officer, or another staff member, of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia; and

(b)

that the Chairs’ Committee, established under standing order 25(10), consider the adequacy of information provided to witnesses on the subject of possible intimidation or imposition of a penalty in consequence of a witness's evidence to a Senate committee—agreed to.

Economics—Standing Committee—Report—Lost in Space? Setting a new direction for Australia’s space science and industry sector—Government response. Motion of Senator Williams to take note of document agreed to.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee—Report—Economic challenges facing Papua New Guinea and the island states of the southwest Pacific. Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Trood) to take note of report agreed to.

Environment, Communications and the Arts References Committee—Report—Forestry and mining operations on the Tiwi Islands. Motion of the chair of the committee (Senator Birmingham) to take note of report called on. On the motion of Senator Parry the debate was adjourned till the next day of sitting.