Senate debates
Monday, 21 June 2010
Notices
Presentation
Senator Birmingham to move on the next day of sitting:
- That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Prime Minister, no later than noon on 23 June 2010, a copy of the report prepared by the Energy Efficiency task force and provided to the Prime Minister in September 2008, as confirmed by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in response to a question taken on notice on 25 March 2010 and received on 19 April 2010 by the Environment, Communications and the Arts References Committee’s as the answer to Question 3 in its inquiry into the Energy Efficient Homes Package.
Senator Ronaldson to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate is of the view that, in the event of a simultaneous dissolution of both Houses under section 57 of the Constitution, the division of senators into two classes for the purposes of rotation should be in accordance with the results of a recount of the Senate vote under section 282 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to determine the order of election of senators in each state.
Senator Barnett to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate—
- (a)
- welcomes the presence in Parliament House of more than 300 participants in the Micah Challenge Voices for Justice event, representing churches, schools and community groups in more than 80 electorates and from every state and territory;
- (b)
- notes:
- (i)
- the vital progress being made towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aim to halve world poverty by 2015, seen through the reduction in child deaths from 12.5 million annually in 1990 to 8.8 million in 2008,
- (ii)
- that while progress is being made, a number of the MDGs are still off track, particularly Goals 4 and 5, which relate to child and maternal health, and
- (iii)
- the growing public support in the Australian community for the MDGs, demonstrated by more than 111 000 people who have signed the Micah call in support of the MDGs as part of the Micah Challenge campaign and an additional 40 000 people who recently signed the ‘Act to End Poverty’ with the Make Poverty History campaign;
- (c)
- reaffirms:
- (i)
- the commitment to the MDGs as important benchmarks for the global community to fight poverty, and
- (ii)
- that all eight MDGs are achievable with the political will of the global community;
- (d)
- recognises the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call to world leaders to attend the MDGs Review Summit in New York in September 2010, and the importance of this global meeting to measure progress and develop a clear action plan to achieve these MDGs within the remaining 5 years; and
- (e)
- calls on the Government to make clear at the UN Summit, Australia’s ongoing commitment to the achievement of the MDGs by 2015.
Senator Heffernan to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the time for the presentation of the report of the Select Committee on Agricultural and Related Industries on the incidence and severity of bushfires across Australia be extended to 13 August 2010.
Senator Ronaldson to move on the next day of sitting:
- That there be laid on the table by the Special Minister of State and Cabinet Secretary, no later than 2 pm on 23 June 2010, a copy of the draft: (a) letter to the Treasurer; and (b) statement to Parliament, both of which were prepared by the Department of Finance and Deregulation, and provided to the Minister on 14 May 2010, and which relate to the request from the Treasurer, of 10 May 2010, for an exemption from the Guidelines on Information and Advertising Campaigns by Australian Government Departments and Agencies for the proposed advertising campaign relating to the Government’s tax reforms.
Senator Ludlam to move on the next day of sitting:
- That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts, no later than 9.30 pm on Thursday, 24 June 2010:
- (a)
- the study by PricewaterhouseCoopers into estimating consumers’ willingness to pay for improvements in packaging and beverage container waste management; and
- (b)
- the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics peer review of the study.
Senator Barnett to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate—
- (a)
- notes that:
- (i)
- motor neurone disease (MND) Global Day on 21 June 2010 represents an important opportunity to acknowledge those around the world affected by MND,
- (ii)
- in Australia alone, more than 1 400 people have MND and the disease takes the life of more than 10 Australians every week,
- (iii)
- there is no known cause in 90 per cent of cases, no cure and no effective treatment for MND, and
- (iv)
- the most pressing need for those affected by MND and their families includes easy and timely access to appropriate care and support, including access to aids, equipment and assistance with basic daily living such as mobility, communication, feeding and breathing to maintain independence and quality of life; and
- (b)
- calls on the Government to continue its funding for MND research and improving health and disability services for all those affected.
Senator Hanson-Young to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate—
- (a)
- notes:
- (i)
- the recent survey conducted by the Australian Red Cross on community attitudes towards asylum seekers and refugees, and
- (ii)
- that this survey found that 67 per cent agreed that refugees have made a positive contribution to Australian society, while 83 per cent agreed that people fleeing persecution should be able to seek protection in another country;
- (b)
- recognises that 96 per cent of asylum seekers who arrive by boat are assessed as genuine refugees; and
- (c)
- calls on all sides of politics to recognise the positive contribution that refugees have made and continue to make to the diversity of our nation.
Senator Hanson-Young to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate—
- (a)
- notes that:
- (i)
- there is significant opportunity for investment in stormwater harvesting and water efficiency, yet Adelaide remains reliant on the Murray River for its water supply, and
- (ii)
- the Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water (Senator Wong) has demanded an environmental dividend to reduce Adelaide’s reliance on the Murray River, in exchange for Federal Government funding for a range of urban water projects; and
- (b)
- calls on the Federal Government to work with the South Australian Government to wean Adelaide off the Murray River for the long-term sustainability of the river system.
Senator Ludlam to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate—
- (a)
- welcomes Xi Jinping, Vice President of the Peoples’ Republic of China;
- (b)
- acknowledges the continuing concerns of the Australian people over human rights in China and Tibet; and
- (c)
- expresses its hopes for a productive visit, including a frank and wide-ranging dialogue on matters of concern to both China and Australia.
Senator Ludlam to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate—
- (a)
- congratulates His Holiness the Dalai Lama on celebrating his 75th birthday on 6 July 2010;
- (b)
- notes the Dalai Lama’s unstinting commitment to non-violence, his pragmatism in seeking a ‘Middle Way’ approach in order to reach a peaceful and practical solution for the future of Tibet and its people and his work in promoting inter-religious understanding;
- (c)
- acknowledges the Dalai Lama’s Nobel Peace Prize awarded in 1989, his US Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 and the many other awards and honours presented for his wide-ranging work in advocating peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, universal responsibility and compassion; and
- (d)
- expresses its hopes for a peacefully negotiated settlement between the Tibetan people and the People’s Republic of China.
Senator Fisher to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the time for the presentation of the final report of the Environment, Communications and the Arts References Committee on the Energy Efficient Homes Package be extended to 24 June 2010.
Senator Siewert to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the time for the presentation of the report of the Community Affairs References Committee on new therapeutic groups under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme be extended to 26 August 2010.
Senator Xenophon to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Aviation Transport Security Amendment Regulations 2010 (No. 1), as contained in Select Legislative Instrument 2010 No. 80 and made under the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004, be disallowed.
Senator Moore to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the time for the presentation of the report of the Community Affairs Legislation Committee on the Poker Machine (Reduced Losses—Interim Measures) Bill 2009 and the Protecting Problem Gamblers Bill 2009 be extended to 28 October 2010.
Senator Ludwig to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the government business orders of the day relating to the Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (2010 Budget Measures) Bill 2010 and the Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment (Income Support Measures) Bill 2010 may be taken together for their remaining stages.
Senator Ludwig to move on the next day of sitting:
- That, on Tuesday, 22 June 2010:
- (a)
- the hours of meeting shall be 12.30 pm to adjournment;
- (b)
- the routine of business from 6.50 pm shall be consideration of a motion relating to Australian troops in Afghanistan; and
- (c)
- the question for the adjournment of the Senate shall be proposed at 8.50 pm.
Senator Cormann to move on the next day of sitting:
- (1)
- That the Senate notes that:
- (a)
- the Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) are independent, not for profit companies funded by the Federal Government to fulfil various skills and training-related policy and program responsibilities;
- (b)
- the Rudd Government has boosted public funding and scope for those ISCs significantly, including a:
- (i)
- $83.2 million funding boost in 2008-09 increasing operational funding for ISCs under the 2008-2011 funding agreement to $118.9 million,
- (ii)
- allocation of several hundred thousands of dollars in 2009 to the Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council to develop the home insulation training package,
- (iii)
- $40 million funding allocation in 2010-11 for the Enterprise Based Productivity Places Program,
- (iv)
- $19.9 million funding allocation in 2010-11 for the Smarter Apprenticeships Program, and
- (v)
- $2.3 million funding allocation in 2010-11 to revise and rewrite training packages as part of the National Green Skills Agreement;
- (c)
- none of the funding is allocated by open competitive tender, with any competition limited to ISCs between each other for some of the government funding;
- (d)
- it is unclear whether those ISCs are sufficiently representative of respective sectors of Australian industry; and
- (e)
- nearly all the funding for ISCs is provided by the Federal Government, yet as ‘private companies’ they are not subject to the scrutiny of Senate estimates committees.
- (2)
- That the following matters be referred to the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 September 2010:
- (a)
- the role and effectiveness of Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) in the operation of the national training system particularly as it relates to states and territories and rural and regional Australia;
- (b)
- accountability mechanisms in relation to Commonwealth funding for the general operation and specific projects and programs of each ISC;
- (c)
- corporate governance arrangements of ISCs;
- (d)
- Commonwealth Government processes to prioritise funding allocations across all ISCs;
- (e)
- ISC network arrangements and co-operative mechanisms implemented between relevant boards;
- (f)
- the accrual of accumulated surpluses from public funding over the life of each ISC’s operation and its use and purpose;
- (g)
- the effectiveness of each ISC in implementing specific training initiatives, for example the Skills for Sustainability initiative under the National Green Skills Agreement; and
- (h)
- any related matters.
Senator Trood to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the time for the presentation of the report of the Select Committee on the Reform of the Australian Federation be extended to 17 November 2010.
Senator Milne to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate—
- (a)
- notes that the Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan released by Beyond Zero Emissions and the University of Melbourne shows:
- (i)
- that it is technically possible for Australia to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy within a decade, and
- (ii)
- that the technologies to achieve this goal, including baseload solar thermal energy with storage, are commercially available today;
- (b)
- applauds the organisations involved for their vision and efforts; and
- (c)
- calls on the Australian Government to direct the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency to undertake a similar study to examine the potential for a swift transition to 100 per cent renewable energy in Australia.
Senator Milne to move on the next day of sitting:
- That the Senate—
- (a)
- notes that:
- (i)
- road transport amounts to 12 per cent of Australia’s total carbon dioxide emissions, and the largest source of these emissions was passenger cars,
- (ii)
- more efficient cars would improve Australia’s energy security,
- (iii)
- internationally, a number of states have adopted mandatory standards for vehicle fuel efficiency, for example Europe is in the process of legislating for a target of 130g CO per km by 2015,
- (iv)
- the automotive industry accepted a voluntary target of 222g CO per kilometre by 2010 and that this target was met ahead of schedule, arguably with ‘business as usual’ improvements,
- (v)
- the 2010-11 Budget cut $200 million from the Green Car Innovation Fund, which provides grants to automobile industries to encourage investment in efficient technology, a cut that was justified on the basis that demand for grants was lower than anticipated, and
- (iv)
- in July 2009, the Council of Australian Governments requested that the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government produce a regulatory impact statement into a mandatory scheme for vehicle fuel efficiency and that this report was originally to be made public for consultation before the end of March 2010, but has still not been released; and
- (b)
- calls on the Government to release the regulatory impact statement into a mandatory scheme for vehicle fuel efficiency and move to introduce mandatory fuel efficiency standards without further delay.