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

That the Senate—

(a)

notes that:

(i)

major flaws in the design of the Federal Government’s renewable energy target legislation have led to a dramatic drop in the price of renewable energy certificates and stalled investment in the renewable energy sector,

(ii)

the Federal Government has now acknowledged these concerns and foreshadows legislation to remedy these flaws and advised that the bill will be introduced mid-2010 with a start date of 1 January 2011,

(iii)

delays have already caused a loss of jobs including, at the Musselroe Wind Farm development in north-east Tasmania and have threatened the proposed expansion of the Hallett Wind Farm in South Australia, and

(iv)

any further delay will cause a further loss of jobs; and

(b)

calls on the Government to:

(i)

work cooperatively with industry, the community and the opposition parties to ensure the bill is properly designed and introduced without delay,

(ii)

without delay, release any modelling or other analysis on which this proposal is based, and

(iii)

provide assurances that the legislation will not result in unreasonable additional costs in power prices to end users.

Senator Hanson-Young to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes some of the systematic gender disparities in India, where women suffer disproportionately from illiteracy, poverty and low social status;

(b)

recognises that only 10 per cent of seats in India’s 795 strong parliament, are held by women, lagging well behind its regional neighbours such as Bangladesh, where the proportion is 15 per cent and Pakistan, where it is 30 per cent; and

(c)

congratulates the Indian Parliament’s upper house, on passing the first stage of the historic legislation seeking to impose a 33 per cent quota for women in the nation’s federal and state assemblies.

Senator Barnett to move on the next day of sitting:

That the time for the presentation of the report of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee on the provisions of the Anti-People Smuggling and Other Measures Bill 2010 be extended to 15 June 2010.

Senator Fisher to move on the next day of sitting:

That the time for the presentation of reports of the Environment, Communications and the Arts References Committee be extended as follows:

(a)

on Australia Post’s treatment of injured and ill workers—to 12 May 2010; and

(b)

Energy Efficient Homes Package—to 6 May 2010.

Senator Moore to move on the next day of sitting:

That the time for the presentation of reports of the Community Affairs Legislation Committee be extended as follows:

(a)

provisions of the Health Practitioner Regulation (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2010––to 11 May 2010; and

(b)

Poker Machine (Reduced Losses—Interim Measures) Bill 2009 and a related bill––to 30 June 2010.

Senator Fisher to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Environment, Communications and the Arts References Committee be authorised to hold an in camera hearing during the sitting of the Senate on Wednesday, 17 March 2010.

Senator Bob Brown to move on 13 May 2010:

(1)

That the Senate—

(a)

notes that:

(i)

global population is expected to grow from 6.8 billion people now to 9.2 billion in 2050,

(ii)

Australia’s population size and capacity to sustain population growth at the current rate is an issue of national significance that requires a national population policy and strategic plan as a matter of urgency,

(iii)

as a wealthy nation, Australia is disproportionately able to influence and slow global population growth, and

(iv)

there is growing public debate about the question of population size; and

(b)

calls on the Prime Minister (Mr Rudd) to establish an independent national inquiry into Australia’s population to 2050, which is to report by 1 July 2011.

(2)

That, in establishing the inquiry:

(a)

the chair and panel of the inquiry be appointed with cross party support to ensure independence;

(b)

sufficient funds are allocated to ensure that the inquiry holds public hearings in all capital cities and major regional centres across Australia; and

(c)

the terms of reference for the inquiry include:

(i)

the impact on Australia of the growing global population and how best Australia may affect it,

(ii)

the development of a plan for a population that can be best supported in Australia within and then beyond the next 40 years, taking into account technology options, infrastructure, patterns of resource use and quality of life considerations,

(iii)

the environmental, social and economic sustainability of Australia’s population in the short-, medium- and long-term,

(iv)

the value of a whole-of-government approach to population incorporating consideration of immigration and family policies,

(v)

making recommendations of national policy options in relation to population including, taking into account regional and local perspectives, and

(vi)

any related matters.

Senator Bob Brown to move on 17 March 2010:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes the courage of Pete Bethune, the captain of the Sea Shepherd boat the Ady Gil, which was sunk in the Southern Ocean while trying to protect whales from illegal poaching; and

(b)

calls on the Australian Government to use all diplomatic channels to provide support for Captain Bethune following his arrest in Japan on trespass charges.

Senator Wong to move on the next day of sitting:

That, in accordance with section 5 of the Parliament Act 1974, the Senate approves the proposal by the Department of Parliamentary Services to improve exterior lighting within the Parliament House precinct.