Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes:

  (i)   the opening statement made by the President of Fair Work Australia on 1 June 2010 during his appearance at an estimates hearing of the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee, and

  (ii)   in particular, the request made in that statement that the Senate reconsider its order of 28 October 2009 which requires that, on each occasion on which the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee meets to consider estimates in relation to Fair Work Australia, the President of Fair Work Australia appear before the committee to answer questions; and

  (b)   modifies the order of 28 October 2009 by declaring that, while relaxing the requirement that the President of Fair Work Australia attend to answer questions on all occasions when the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee meets to consider estimates in relation to Fair Work Australia, the Senate expects that the President will appear should his or her presence be requested by the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee in the future.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes that:

  (i)   the elections held in Burma on 7 November 2010 did not meet international democratic standards, with widespread reports of voter fraud, harassment and intimidation and foreign media and election monitors not given permission to observe,

  (ii)   the military backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won nearly 77 per cent of seats, the military linked National Unity Party won more than 5 per cent of seats and opposition parties won 18 per cent of seats,

  (iii)   the 2008 Constitution does not uphold democratic principles by prohibiting freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association, excluding all political prisoners from standing for election, ensuring continued military control over the country and providing impunity for human rights violations committed by members of the armed forces,

  (iv)   25 per cent of seats in the parliament are reserved for the military, to be appointed by the military’s Commander in Chief, with the head of the military providing a short list of candidates to the President for the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister for Border Affairs and the Minister of Defence,

  (v)   severe restrictions have been imposed on parliamentarians: they face 2 years imprisonment if they write, print or distribute by any means parliament-related documents, information, statistics, drawings, charts or other references; bring a mobile phone, recording device or camera into parliament or if they make a protest in parliament,

  (vi)   speeches, motions and questions must be approved by the Speaker of the House before they can be entered into the parliament, and they must be submitted 10 working days in advance for approval,

  (vii)   parliamentarians cannot ask questions on, or speak about, national security, international relations or national unity related issues, and

  (viii)   the parliament is not open to the public and unauthorised individuals who enter the parliament face one year in prison; and

  (b)   calls on the Government to:

  (i)   not recognise the Parliament of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar as the true Parliament of Burma,

  (ii)   condemn the 2008 Constitution as undemocratic,

  (iii)   pledge its continued support for genuine democracy and human rights in Burma,

  (iv)   call for national reconciliation in Burma, particularly tripartite dialogue between the democracy movement led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, ethnic nationalities and the military,

  (v)   commit to continue working with opposition groups in Burma, including those outside the parliament such as the National League for Democracy and the United Nationalities League for Democracy, and

  (vi)   call for the release of all political prisoners in Burma.

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   condemns the boycott of Israel instigated by Marrickville Council – part of the Global Boycott Divestments and Sanctions – banning any links with Israeli organisations or organisations that support Israel and prohibiting any academic, government, sporting or cultural exchanges with Israel;

  (b)   acknowledges that Israel is a legitimate and democratic state and a good friend of Australia; and

  (c)   denounces the Israeli boycott by Marrickville Council and others, and condemns any expansion of it.

Notice of amendment :

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate recognises the rights of the people of Palestine and Israel to live together as self governing states.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes that after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 the Hawke Labor Government allowed many thousands of Chinese students studying in Australia to stay after their visas had expired; and

  (b)   calls on the Government to:

  (i)   provide an extension of student visas on humanitarian grounds to the students of the conflict-ridden countries of Libya, Syria and Bahrain, allowing them to stay in Australia until it is safe to return home, and

  (ii)   lift the current work restrictions, to allow these students, who have had their assets and bank accounts frozen, an increased ability to work and access basic entitlements in Australia.